The Many Adventures of Akko Kagari and The Ways She Gets Into Trouble
by tititenis
Summary: Collection of One-Shots that talk about Akko, Diana and the rest of the gang after the S1 finale. Fluffy and so sweet that you will get cavities. Also, all of the gang ships Dianakko and Chariox! So be prepared for plenty of stories focusing on them. Rating changed to M following Chapter 15
1. They Said We Shouldn't Touch The Stone

Because Magic's Revenge is a more serious story, I created this one where I can write all the happy and sweet Dianakko and Chariox that I want. Suggestions and themes for One-Shots are welcomed, and can go from Years Later to Alternate Universes. But, all of the stories will follow a timeline that starts with this first chapter where Akko and Diana get together and continues towards domestic bliss.

* * *

After stopping with Diana the missile, becoming the hero of Luna Nova, and well, basically saving the whole world; Akko had believed things would be different once she returned to school. In fact, she had been expecting her fellow witches to acknowledge her efforts and praise her on her spectacular magic. She, the girl that had been the laughing stock of the school, had broken the seal of the Grand Triskellion and had brought magic back! I mean, who could even say that they had done something similar? Or as magical as that?

Apparently, everyone failed to realize and fully grasp the extent and repercussions of Akko's actions and involvement during the missile crisis. Instead of having a heroes' welcome after they returned from, yes, outer space; Akko and Diana had arrived at Luna Nova and realized that not many people were aware of what had transpired outside the school.

And that was when Akko remembered that there were no televisions, or radios, or cellphones at Luna Nova…

So, Akko's debut as a magical performer did not help her to become a celebrity at school. Instead, and to the brunette's chagrin, things went back to the way they were. Or, as close as normal as they could be with young girls learning how to use magic.

Specially if one of those girls was Akko…

"Miss Kagari!" Akko hears the exasperated voice of Professor Finneran calling her. "Were you even listening to me?"

Looking up from her notes, she sees the older woman staring at her menacingly. Gulping and making her best apologetic face, Akko remains quiet and waits for the professor to start talking again.

"As I was saying, in an effort to introduce you to modern magic and the many artifacts that can be found outside Luna Nova, the school and Ministry will hold an exposition on magical objects and nullifiers. All students, and I mean all students…" she stares at Akko. "Must attend."

LWALWALWA

"I mean, I get why we need to see this…" Akko says after making sure that Professor Finneran is no longer in the classroom. "But did you hear her say that it was going to be a talk and that the objects would be sealed? Where's the fun in that?"

"They probably don't want people touching them and activating them." Lotte reasons with her. "Professor Finneran did say that they were dangerous."

"Then why even bring them here to begin with?" the brunette girl asks exasperated.

"To prepare us in case we encounter them outside Luna Nova." a familiar voice explains to her and Akko notices Diana had come to stand next to her.

"Diana…" she says with a warm smile that the blonde bashfully reciprocates.

Diana… Was another aspect that had changed completely in Akko's life after the missile.

She was not sure of how to define their relationship. She liked Diana and considered her a friend. But, there were times when the two of them would look at each other and all these feelings started brewing inside of Akko. Feelings that were definitely not there when she talked to Sucy or Lotte.

Akko had decided to act on those feelings and had started to hang out with Diana more. It had all began with casual encounters at the library, followed by tea trips to town and late nights where Akko escaped curfew and only allowed Diana to find her because she knew that the blonde girl would not turn her in. Those moments together had only confirmed to the brunette what she was feeling and the way she was going to act from now on.

Because, although Akko was naïve, she was not that naïve. She knew that she was developing feelings for Diana that went beyond friendship. Romantic feelings that were making her see Diana in a different light. But she also knew that to many, a change in their relationship would be seen as detrimental for the blonde heiress. As a backwards step on her path towards greatness and excellence. But, because Akko was Akko, she refused to think about what others would say. Instead, she knew that the only opinion that mattered when it came to the two of them was Diana's. And, as long as the blonde witch didn't tell her to stop her advances, she was going to continue courting her.

"Although not many at Luna Nova were aware of what we did a few months ago, the professors noticed and started to realize that keeping the newer elements of magic away from the school was detrimental in the long run." Diana's voice makes her focus on their conversation.

"I'll say they were detrimental enough." Sucy murmurs bored. "Their lack of knowledge about Magitronics and modern magic is what prevented them from realizing the true intentions of Professor Meridies."

This made Akko look down in sadness.

Although things had been forgiven and forgotten between the two of them, she knew that Croix-Sensei was away from Luna Nova working for the Ministry and trying to find a cure for Ursula-Sensei. Akko, honestly had no ill-feelings towards the lilac-haired witch. She even understood her point of view once the older woman told her the truth about her life, her relationship with Chariot and her years after leaving Luna Nova. In fact, after a long cry and promise to keep in touch with each other, Akko had received a cellphone in the mail and used it to talk to the lilac-haired woman. That, had led her to quickly realize that Croix-Sensei was a teaser and liked to play pranks on their favorite red-haired teacher.

"Indeed." Diana agrees with the pink-haired girl. "So, instead of complaining about the talk, why don't you consider it an opportunity to safely learn about different types of magic?"

"But I won't be able to try the magic!" Akko whines dramatically while holding the blonde's hands. "And where's the fun in that?"

"You're such a child." the Cavendish girl chuckles tenderly.

"Will you at least go with me?" she asks her friend and notices her blush brightly. "If I can't touch anything and will be forced to listen to some boring professors talk, at least it will become bearable if you're with me."

This makes Lotte and Sucy exchange knowing glances between them.

Akko had not been shy about confessing to them her newly discovered feelings. And, because they were good friends that truly cared about her, they had offered Akko their support in helping her 'get the girl'.

"I think I must in order to keep you out of trouble." Diana tries to say nonchalantly but they all see right through her.

"Great!" Akko says happily and hugs the blonde tightly. Come pick me up at my room at 7pm!" she exclaims excitedly and goes out of the classroom before Diana changes her mind.

She had a date to prepare to.

LWALWALWA

"Ursula-Sensei!" Akko screams while opening the door to her room and sitting in her chair. "I need you!"

Frightened about the panicked tone and way Akko had just entered her room, Ursula runs down the stairs and takes her wand out to check for any kind of injuries.

"What happened?" she asks tersely while moving her wand over her student. "Did you fall off your broom? Did Sucy give you a poison made with expired ingredients? Did you curse yourself?" the woman continues rambling. "Where does it hurt?"

"Hurt?" Akko asks confused and smiles cheekily when she realizes how her words could also be interpreted. "Oh, I'm not hurt…" she appeases the older woman who closes her eyes and relaxes.

"Akko…" the red-haired woman admonishes her. "You know better than to scare me like that."

"I'm sorry." she apologizes honestly. "I'm just too excited and freaked out that I can't contain myself."

This makes Ursula stare curiously at her pupil.

"I asked Diana to come with me to today's talk and she said yes!" Akko exclaims happily. "Like, only the two of us and she agreed!"

Ursula chuckles warmly. She had seen first-handedly the way those two girls interacted with each other and had waited for Akko to tell her what she felt before suggesting to the brunette witch to make a move.

After that, Akko had been informing her about every development and event that pertained Diana and their blossoming romance. She had come for advice, for talks about her own insecurities regarding her sexuality, background in the magical world and the possibility of being accepted by a witch like Diana. To Ursula, all of those insecurities that Akko had confessed to her were very familiar and she had made sure of explaining and sharing with Akko her own experience. Which, in return, made their relationship grow and blossom, making the two of them become even closer than before. And, Ursula had been elated about realizing how much the brunette witch trusted her and cared about her opinion.

That she had truly forgiven her for what happened months ago...

"That's great Akko!" the older woman promises her happily.

"But now that she said yes I don't know what to do…" she looks down in contemplation. "And she did say that she was doing it because she wanted to keep me out of trouble… So maybe she doesn't see this as a date…"

This makes Ursula groan in exasperation.

Sometimes Diana was too much like Croix.

Like a Tsundere.

"Knowing Diana, if she accepted to go with you then she did so because she wanted to accompany you." Ursula promises her surely. "Besides, we know how closed-off Diana is with her emotions and the special ways in which she shows she cares."

That had been a talk of an hour in which Akko recounted every reaction the blonde witch had to her words and their interpretations of said reactions…

"You're right!" Akko says rejuvenated. "I must stop questioning myself and just prepare to sweep Diana off her feet. Although, how will I do that in a boring talk?"

Ursula also knew her favorite brunette well enough to realize when she was planning to start some mischief.

"Akko…" she warns her immediately. "I'm sure that Diana will be happy enough to spend the evening just with you talking with each other and sharing the experience."

"But this is our first official date! It has to be a memorable one!" Akko exclaims determined. "Don't worry Sensei, I won't do anything that will get me expelled!" she promises her and grabs her stuff from behind the door.

And the fact that Akko used the word 'expelled' is what makes Ursula's danger sensor turn on.

"Akko…" she tries to stop the younger girl.

"Thank you for the help! Bye Sensei, bye Alcor!" she says happily and closes the door before Ursula can finish her sentence.

Ursula had a bad feeling about what was going to happen tonight.

Closing her eyes, it seemed like she now had plans for the evening as well…

LWALWALWA

 _I need to find something that will make my date with Diana amazing_ , Akko thinks while walking through the corridors.

She had considered going to the kitchen and steal a pie. But she had already done that during one of Diana's night patrols. There was also the option of escaping the talk, but she knew that Diana enjoyed things like this and that she would be really bummed out if for some reason she wouldn't be able to attend the talk.

"What can I do?" Akko asks mournfully to herself while closing her eyes. "There must be something that Diana will like…"

"All items are in display." she hears the voice of Principal Holbrook say happily.

"Indeed, most items have been nullified and are already in their cases." a younger woman promises.

"Most?"

"Yes, unfortunately the Clawlefill was not reacting to the nullifiers and we decided to just leave it out of the exposition."

"What a pity." the principal says softly. "But then again, those Clawlefill are stubborn like that."

The younger woman chuckles knowingly.

"I assume that you have taken the necessary precautions into making sure that the artifact is kept away from the students."

"Yes ma'am. We have placed a protective spell around the room it and it has been moved to the safe."

 _Luna Nova has a safe?_

"No one should find it if they don't know they're looking for it." the woman finishes and that's the moment Akko realizes that's something she can use for her date.

"Splendid." Principal Holbrook congratulates the woman and both walk away from Akko.

She had just found out the perfect artifact to show Diana and make sure the blonde would never forget this date.

LWALWALWA

"You look very happy…" Sucy says bored to her while finishing to put her clothes on.

"I have a date with Diana!" Akko shrieks in excitement. "How can I not be happy."

"A date at a talk." the pink-haired witch reminds her.

"Sucy!" Lotte admonishes her. "I'm sure that Akko and Diana will enjoy their date because they will be going with each other."

This makes Akko chuckle knowingly.

"That chuckle…" Sucy tells absently. "It means trouble."

"Why do you have so little faith in me?" the brunette says dramatically. "But you were right Sucy, I will not just take Diana to a talk. If I want her to like me and agree to another, better date, I must show her how fantastic and interesting I can be."

"But I think Diana already knows that." the blonde-girl tries to stop her roommate from doing something crazy.

"Diana deserves the best!" Akko says proudly. "And I will give it to her."

"What you will do is create chaos." Sucy smirks. "And hence make this talk become more interesting."

"Sucy is right!" Lotte says. "About you creating chaos. You're like a trouble magnet."

"Now you're just being negative." she reprimands her friends. "Positive things come to positive people."

Knowing that there was nothing they could do to stop Akko once she made up her mind, Lotte and Sucy just decided to finish dressing in order to give the brunette some privacy before Diana arrived.

"We'll be seeing you there." Lotte tells Akko and closes the door.

Looking at the clock on her cellphone, the brunette realizes that she has twenty minutes before Diana arrives. Sending a quick text, she runs to the shower, finishing her bath in five minutes. After drying her hair, and making sure that it was perfectly combed and brushed, she takes a look at her phone again and sees that her text was answered.

 **Croix-Sensei:** _Every magic school must have a safe for the storage of magical artifacts. Why do you ask?_

 **Akko:** _Because I need to know where the safe of Luna Nova is. And since you used to work at the school, you must know where it is._

 **Croix-Sensei:** _Why ask me and not Chariot?_

 **Croix-Sensei:** _I'm sure it is because you're planning to do something that will get you into trouble._

 **Akko:** _Croix-Sensei please, it's important!_

 **Akko:** _It's for my date with Diana *embarrassed face*_

 **Croix-Sensei:** _You finally asked her and she said yes?! That's awesome Akko._

 **Crois-Sensei:** _But still, I can't just tell you where it is because you want to take Diana there._

 **Akko:** _Please Sensei, tell me where the safe is so that Diana doesn't get bored with me or realizes that I'm not good enough for her. I promise you that we won't do anything dangerous._

 **Croix-Sensei:** _If Chariot were to find out that I helped you, she would kill me._

 **Akko** _ **:** It will be our secret._

 **Croix-Sensei:** _Third floor, second door to the left. You need to say "Alberti Ponti" so the doors open._

 **Akko:** _You're the best Sensei!_

 **Croix-Sensei:** _I'm too soft… Go get the girl!_

 **Akko:** _Will do!_

With five more minutes before 7pm, Akko checks herself once again in the mirror; and after realizing that there was nothing else she could do about her image, she just decided to open the door and wait for Diana outside her room.

But, pleasantly enough, the blonde witch was already outside her room, a bright blush adoring her face.

"Diana!" Akko exclaims happily and hugs her tight. "You're early."

This makes the blonde witch blush even more.

"I finished getting ready earlier than I expected. I was about to knock." she murmurs embarrassedly.

"You look beautiful."

"I'm just wearing my uniform Akko."

"Well, you always look beautiful in it and I've always wanted to say it to you." the brunette says smoothly and fist bumps when the blonde witch grabs her hand.

"Thank you." Diana whispers bashfully and both start walking towards the auditory. "I know I said earlier that I was coming with you in order to keep you out of trouble…" she looks away for a couple of seconds. "But the truth is that I wanted to come with you." she gives Akko a bright smile.

"I also wanted to come with you." Akko reassures her and feels like everything is falling into place. "Although I hope you won't get too bored with me accompanying you. Since I'm not the smartest witch around…"

This makes Diana stop walking and focus her whole attention on her.

"There's no one else that I would want to be with." she promises the brunette girl passionately. "And you are a very capable and smart witch, Akko. So don't sell yourself short."

"Ok!" Akko smiles happily and again starts walking towards the auditorium. "Are you excited about the talk?"

"A little…" Diana admits softly. "Although I'm disappointed that we won't be able to see the artifacts in their true form. All of them have been nullified in order to prevent any kind of accidents."

This makes Akko perk-up. She had the perfect solution for Diana's trouble.

"So you're not that interested about the talk?" she needed to confirm that.

"Not really." the Canvendish girl replies simply. "But then there's nothing we can do about it."

"What if I told you that there is?" Akko whispers to her and notices Diana blush because of their closeness. "What if I could show you something better than this talk?" she continues saying to a flustered Diana. "Would you come with me?"

She only has to wait a couple of seconds for Diana to nod in confirmation.

"Then follow me!" Akko takes out her wand and tugs her friend away from the doors.

Running quickly, the brunette guides Diana through the many corridors of Luna Nova. Fearing that the artifact was moved at the last second, Akko prays to whoever is willing to listen to her to help her make this evening a success. Arriving to the door, she sees that Diana recognizes it immediately but still doesn't say anything to her.

Closing her eyes, she says Alberto Ponti and the doors open just like Croix had told her they would. Entering the room, Akko is surprised at the many mirrors and objects that are inside the room.

"So this is where they moved the mirror after that incident…" Diana murmurs absently while going in. "I was wondering where Professor Finneran had placed it."

"That's the mirror that put the spell on me?" Akko asks and gulps when her friend confirms it.

"Not that I'm not surprised about you knowing of the existence of this place, or the fact that you knew the password to open the door…" she continues explaining. "But why bring me here?"

"You said that you wanted to see one of the artifacts of the exposition without it being nullified." Akko starts to explain to her. "And earlier, when I was coming back from Ursula-Sensei's room I heard Principal Holbrook and another woman talk about one artifact that had not reacted to the nullification."

"And in order to keep the students safe they placed it here." Diana can see where Akko's story was going. "So instead of staying away from this room and artifact you decided to bring me here? To show me said artifact." she emphasizes the last part.

Akko gulps uncertainly. Diana had her poker face on and there was no way for the Japanese girl to know what her friend thought of the situation.

"I just knew that you wanted to see it. And, I also know that you're a very capable witch Diana. That you will be capable of protecting me if something were to happen."

This makes Diana blush.

"That's very cheap Akko." the blonde complains.

"But true and effective." Akko gets closer to her and makes sure their bodies are touching. "So since we're now here, don't you think we should at least take a look at the artifact?"

Closing her eyes and knowing that there was no way she could refuse Akko, Diana nods in confirmation and makes sure that Akko is behind her. Walking towards the unfamiliar object in the center of the room, Diana can't help but admire the beauty of the stone in front of her.

"Wow, that's pretty…" Akko murmurs besides her and Diana agrees. "It looks like the Sorcerer Stone."

"It's pretty similar to it." Diana explains to her. "This one is a Clawlefill. They're not very common and hence are difficult to control with nullifiers. It surprises me that the Ministry even brought it here while knowing of its personality." she continues murmuring. "The Clawlefill is a magical artifact that combines energy and alchemy. Meaning that, the material of the rock has magical properties itself."

"What do you mean by magical properties?" Diana sees Akko ask while trying to touch the stone.

"Don't touch it!" the blonde witch screams and moves her hand out of the way, managing to make Akko fall away from it.

Unfortunately, the opposite happened to Diana.

Meaning that Diana had been the one that touched the stone.

Quickly standing up from the floor, Akko rushes towards Diana and helps her move away as well.

"Diana?" the brunette asks worriedly while taking a look at the blonde who didn't seem to be hurt but was not reacting to her voice. "Diana?" she chokes out. "Please tell me you're ok?"

Instead, what happens is that Diana focuses on her and takes one big gulp of air before closing the distance between them and planting a kiss on her lips.

Shocked at the way things had developed, Akko is incapable of responding to the kiss because a part of herself immediately thinks that the rock must have had similar effects to the love bee.

Realizing that her kiss was not being reciprocated, Diana immediately separates from Akko and runs away from the room, leaving behind a very confused and dazed brunette girl.

"No Diana, wait!" Akko reacts after the blonde is out of the room and berates herself for being so careless and naughty.

Taking her phone out, she calls the only person that would be capable of helping her.

 _"Akko, I thought you were on your date with Diana?"_

"What is the Clawtofill?" she goes straight to the point.

 _"There's no object called that way."_ Croix chuckles. _"Did your date go badly and that's why you're calling me? To distract you?"_ Akko hears the care and is touched by the woman's words.

"No Sensei! Well, yes, but not because of me. In a way it was because of me, but it was an accident and Diana touched that rock…"

 _"A rock?"_ Croix asks softly. _"And you said that it was called Clawtofill?"_ the woman thinks about it. " _What color was it?"_

"Pink." Akko answers her quickly.

 _"And is Diana with you?"_

"She kinda ran away after she kissed me."

" _You two kissed and after she ran away you didn't chase after her?!"_ Croix berates her. " _That stone Akko, it allows the person that touches it to lose all their inhibitions and fears."_

This gives Akko hope.

"So if she kissed me, she did it because she had wanted to do so beforehand? Not because the feelings were fabricated."

" _Yes Akko. The stone cannot create feelings. It only takes away what prevents a person from showing them."_

It takes away all the walls and protections that Diana has placed on herself and her heart.

This was bad. No, this was terrible.

"This is bad Sensei! How can I stop it?!"

Before Croix-Sensei can answer her, Akko hears a shriek coming from the hallway and she knows to whom that voice belonged to.

"Don't hang up!" she tells Croix and runs out of the room.

"Miss Cavendish!" Akko sees Diana laughing and running away from a very annoyed and wet Professor Finneran.

" _Don't tell me she got Finneran?"_ Croix asks her gleefully.

"She so did." the brunette chuckles and continues running towards Diana.

"Miss Kagari! No running in the hallways. And also, you know students are forbidden from using electronic devices!"

"Sorry Sensei, no time to talk!" Akko ignores her and continues running. "Have to save Diana from herself."

 _"She's so going to punish you tomorrow morning."_ the lilac-haired woman sing-songs.

"She likes doing that." the younger girl groans. "You still haven't told me how I can fix Diana."

" _The magic of the stone is tricky."_ Croix informs her. _"And the effect is only deactivated once the person under it believes that they have released all of their true thoughts to the person they're talking to."_

"That's even worse!" Akko exclaims.

" _But she's not being controlled by the stone. Diana is capable of choosing the person she wants to talk to and can leave a conversation at any moment. I'm pretty sure that Diana must be aware of what the stone does and knows how to eliminate the effects."_

"So that means that she may be looking for a specific person?" Akko asks but doesn't need Croix to answer her because she sees Diana holding Ursula Sensei tightly to her.

"Diana?" she asks confused by the two women but it's like the blonde girl can't hear her.

"I have always admired you Chariot…" Diana says with complete awe. "You were a secret that my mother and I shared. A secret because you knew the way people in the magical world reacted when they heard your name… And how those who liked you were treated by the rest of witches." she chuckles sadly. "But my mother, she allowed me to see you. She told me that there was nothing wrong with using magic to make people happy."

"Diana…" Ursula whispers softly.

"Seeing you like this..." Diana says while touching her red hair. "Closer to the way you used to be when I was a child..." she whispers softly. "Reminds me of all those times with my mother. Of nights listening to her tell me your stories and teaching me the magic that you used. So when I now see you, it's always bittersweet."

"I'm sorry…"

"Please don't apologize." the blonde hugs her tighter. "Not when you have nothing to apologize for." she looks down in contemplation. "I know you have noticed the way I have kept my distance with you."

"I thought it was because of what I did all those years ago." Ursula admits softly to her. "Not that I would blame you if that were the reason. In fact, everyday I count my blessings when I realize that Akko still sees me the same way she used to. Before learning that I was Shiny Chariot."

Because that means she has forgiven me... was left unsaid.

Diana gets close to the red-haired who had created some distance between the two of them and grabs her hands.

"You Chariot, were the one thing that my mother and I truly shared. She also loved your magic and story so much. So seeing you this way, it reminds me of my mother and the way we used to be."

"I didn't know and I'm sorry for..."

"I was avoiding you because I was embarrassed of admitting all of these things to you." the blonde confesses smoothly. "And I wanted to explain it all to you."

"I… I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything at all. And I know the way you feel about Akko, how much you care for her and love her." Diana looks away for a couple of seconds, almost as if the effects of the stone were diminishing with the ongoing confession. "So I was thinking of a good way to say all of this in order to ask you for a favor."

This surprises the three women listening to the conversation.

"Of course!" Ursula tells her immediately. "What can I help you with?"

"I was wondering..." Diana blushes profusely. "If it was not too much to ask... If I could start taking magic lessons under you as well. If I could get to know you better and vice versa."

This makes Ursula smile brightly at the blonde girl in front of her and hug her tight, knowing that a wall between the two of them had been destroyed.

"I want to get to know you too, Diana." she smiles at the younger girl. "And teaching you, will be an honor."

Once those words were said, Akko and Ursula noticed a pink dust coming off Diana's hand.

"Is that what I think it is?" Ursula asks her favorite brunette knowingly and the younger girl tries her best to not run away.

Because although she was scared of her mentor, she was more terrified of what Diana was going to say. In fact, Akko was preparing herself for the worst. Getting a knowing look from her mentor that seemed to say 'don't even think about escaping', the brunette witch knew that she had to stay and embrace the consequences no matter what they were.

So, when Diana finally turned around and looked at her, Akko was surprised to see tears in her eyes instead of anger.

And Akko, being Akko, ran straight towards her in order to comfort her.

"Diana, why are you crying? If it is because of what happened then I'm sorry. As always I screwed things up and ended up getting the people I care about in trouble." she says dejectedly. "I'm sorry you had to say those things because of a spell and not because you wanted them to. And I'm sorry you were forced to kiss me when you didn't want to."

This makes Diana stop crying and stare incredulously at the brunette witch.

"You think that I am this upset because of the stone?"

This makes Akko make a double take.

"You're not?" she asks shocked.

"I'm actually thankful to it because it allowed me to express my true feelings to Ursula-Sensei. In fact, I'm actually not surprised at how things turned out." Diana chuckles softly. "As you said, trouble tends to find you Akko. So it comes with the package."

"Comes with the package…" Akko keeps repeating dumbly.

"What I'm upset about…" the blonde whispers embarrassedly. "Is that you didn't kiss me back."

" _You didn't kiss her back?!_ " they hear a scream coming from the phone and Akko remembers that she had not hung up.

"Is that Croix?" Ursula asks surprised and then starts to put things together. "Hang up, Croix…" she takes out her own cellphone and calls the lilac-haired woman. "Were you the one that helped Akko enter the safe?"

 _"That's not important right now!"_ Croix admonishes her. _"You can scold me all you want later, but I need to hear what is happening between those two. I'm far too invested…"_

And because Ursula was just as invested as her friend was, she decided to admonish her behavior later.

"I have wanted to kiss you for so long." Akko admits shyly to the blonde witch. "So when you did it after touching the stone, a part of me wanted to let go and show you how I feel. But I didn't know the effect. And I thought that it made you fall in love with me. Like the Love Bee."

"You, Akko, are so unbelievable." Diana says while laughing out-loud. "You take me to a magical safe, you show me a cool artifact and when I kiss you you chicken out because you thought I didn't like you."

"Yes?" Akko asks confused by the emotions going through Diana. "But you touched the stone because of me. Because I didn't listen to you and acted like a child."

"And that's what I like most about you!" the blonde witch tells her immediately. "It's what makes you so charming and endearing. Think about it, do you think I would break the rules in such a way if I didn't have feelings for you, Akko? I would never go to such lengths in order to be with you if I didn't have feelings for you."

"So you going to the safe with me, it wasn't because you wanted to go but because you thought I wanted to go?" Akko asks confused.

"I thought you were planning on confessing to me. You had lately been very aggressive in your courting and I believed that I had given you the necessary signals for you to take the next step."

"So you do like me? Like in a romantic way, not a best friend way?" Akko cannot believe what she's hearing and has to ask the blonde girl again.

"You silly girl…" Diana gets close to her and wraps her arms tightly around her. "Of course I like you." she tells her while closing the distance between them and kissing her soundly on the lips. "Too much for my own good."


	2. Is Diana Gay Or European?

This One-Shot takes place before Diana and Akko get together and a few weeks after the missile crisis.

Amanda can't seem to get out of her head if Diana Cavendish is gay or European.

So, she does what every sensible person would do and decides to find out the truth.

Is Diana gay or European?

When many thought of Amanda O'Neil, they immediately placed the words 'rebel' and 'dumb' next to her. But, although Amanda enjoyed creating some innocent chaos from time to time, she was not a fool. In fact, she was very intelligent and a pretty capable witch as well. The only thing that prevented her from showing this to the world was the fact that in order to get good grades, you had to do your homework.

And Amanda hated to do homework.

But what she did enjoy was getting to the truth. And lately, there had been a very specific person that had captured Amanda's interest.

Diana Cavendish.

The girl, at first, had seen like the typical rich girl that refused to invest her time in non-important matters. While she was truly intelligent and talented, her cold personality allowed her to nonchalantly create this air of superiority and brilliance without being truly mean and obnoxious about it. To Amanda, that showed the cunning and planning personality that Diana had and her ability to influence others without them realizing that they were acting the way the blonde witch wanted them to.

Amanda had admired that about the blonde witch, she had even tried to emulate it by acting indifferent and rebellious with the people that surrounded her. Alas, the situation didn't work in her favor and instead she found herself slowly enjoying her time at Luna Nova. Hence, she had decided to leave the kingdom in the hands of Diana.

Or that was what she had thought before the missile crisis. Because to Amanda, it was pretty clear that the Diana before the crisis was completely different to the new Diana. She was baffled by the 360-degree change the young heiress had gone through; since it was like seeing a new person that happened to have the same face and voice of Diana Cavendish. Amanda refused to believe that the cold heiress, the Ice Queen, the pride of Luna Nova; had transformed to a blushing and blubbering mess right in front of her without a responsible and powerful catalyst.

Sitting in the garden while drinking tea, Amanda took a quick look around her and almost immediately focused on her latest obsession. Diana, as usual, was sitting in front of her, her eyes uninterested and bored following the mechanics of drinking tea while pretending to be involved in the conversation.

Typical aristocrat behavior.

"Look, look!" Amanda hears a very familiar voice and turns around to look at Akko, who was flying around the garden on top of her broom. "Today I'm moving!"

"Yay Akko." Sucy teases her warmly. "Like at 5 mph."

"So slow…" the red-haired girl chuckles as well.

"But I still moved!" Akko doesn't let their comments affect her and gets down from the broom, quickly making her way to the table where Amanda and Diana were sitting.

"Did you see that?" she asks the blonde witch and Amanda was expecting her to merely nod or give Akko a polite answer.

What happened instead was that Diana smiled brightly at the brunette and truly stared at her, giving Akko her full attention.

"I did." Diana tells her softly. "You are improving so much."

"Thank you!" Akko gets even closer to Diana and grabs her hands. "Soon enough I'll be able to beat you." she jokes and the blonde laughs with her.

 _Unbelievable…_ Amanda thinks while watching Diana squeeze Akko's hands and respond to the touch.

"If you continue like this then I'm sure you will." Diana encourages Akko and blushes profusely when Akko hugs her and kisses her on the cheek.

 _Interesting…_

 _This_ , Amanda thinks while watching Diana swallowing her tea in an attempt to calm down, _needed to be investigated._

LWALWALWA

"We have gathered here today…" Amanda says loudly while looking at the witches sitting around her. "In order to answer a very important question. A question that is a matter of life and death." the red-haired keeps the suspense intense.

"Tell us already!" Barbara complains while holding Hannah close.

"I'm starting to believe that you won't tell us anything interesting." Sucy murmurs completely bored. "We've been here for half an hour already and all we have done is eat Jasminka's snacks."

Jasminka nods in agreement while taking out more candy.

"Ok! Ok!" Amanda gives up and goes straight to the point. "Have you noticed anything strange going on with Diana?"

"Is that the question?" Lotte asks confused. "I didn't know you cared about her that much."

This makes Sucy give her a dangerous smile.

"Could it be that you like Diana?" she teases the American who blushes despite herself.

"No!" she defends herself quickly. "I like her, but not like that!"

"Not like what?" Lotte interrogates her. "Like a friend?"

"Of course I like her like a friend."

"Then why are you asking if there's something going on with her?" Hannah asks.

"Yeah, we are her teammates and we haven't seen anything odd." Barbara adds.

Amanda groans in frustration.

"Seriously how dense can you all be?!" she closes her eyes in exasperation. "Are you really that oblivious?!"

"Oblivious to what?" Constanze writes on her notepad.

"To the fact that Diana may be very gay for Akko!" she screams and this makes all the witches in the room stare at her.

"Diana, gay?" Barbara asks and laughs loudly. "No Amanda, you're mistaken. Diana is not gay."

"She's European." Hannah says as if that explains everything.

"European?" Amanda asks confused.

"Yes, you know, European." Diana's roommates say.

"You don't even know what that means!" the red-haired exclaims loudly.

"You're the one that doesn't get it. I mean, Americans and Europeans are completely different in that regard."

"You did not just go there." Amanda says murderously.

"Ok, I think that what Barbara and Hannah are trying to say is that Europeans act and behave differently than Americans." Lotte acts as an intermediary.

"That may be true." she agrees with the pixie-haired witch. "But you can't tell me that you haven't seen the way those two have gotten closer."

"Amanda is right." Sucy says absently. "Akko only talks about Diana and Diana blushes every time Akko talks to her."

"Whenever Akko gets too close to Diana, she starts drinking her tea and eating her food faster." Jasminka adds too.

"Diana is crazy about Akko." Constanze writes.

"No way!" Hannah exclaims immediately.

"Diana is not gay." Barbara adds.

"What do you mean she's not gay?" Amanda asks confused. "What about the way she touches Akko, or the way she blushes when the two of them are talking, or the fact that both of them are not here because Diana offered Akko to tutor her?"

"Because Diana is a good friend…" Hannah says confused.

"I give up!" Amanda exclaims dramatically. "This is ridiculous."

"Since it seems that we can't solve this…" Sucy says from her seat. "How about we have a bet and see who is right?"

"A bet on what?" Jasminka asks interested.

"Is Diana gay or European?" the pink-haired girl chuckles.

"You're on." Amanda says excited.

LWALWALWA

Walking through the yard, Amanda, Sucy, Lotte, Jasminka, Constanze, Hannah and Barbara are trying their best to not bring attention to themselves. Although, watching six witches trying their best to hide in the bushes was a sight in itself.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Lotte murmurs while feeling someone's hand on her booty.

"Sorry." Sucy apologizes to her while moving a little backwards. "And yes, we would have never agreed on a verdict." she then looks at Hannah and Barbara. "What those two need is evidence. And, we're going to provide that."

"Diana and Akko should be near." Amanda hushes them down and guides them towards the courtyard. "I'm so going to win this bet." she whispers to herself but stops advancing when she sees a shadow in front of them.

Amanda raises her hand and asks the five witches behind her to stop moving.

"Of course I'm keeping an eye on them!" they hear an exasperated voice and Amanda takes out her head from the bushes so she can see who it is. "Who do you think I am?"

"That's Professor Ursula." Lotte whispers worriedly.

"What is she even doing here?" Amanda asks bitterly.

"I know, I remember those times when we studied together." Ursula says out-loud and that's when the girls notice that she has a cellphone on her hand.

"I wonder who she's talking to…" Hannah murmurs.

"I bet I know who it is." Sucy chuckles knowingly.

"Really Croix?" the older woman chuckles warmly. "You're becoming a bad influence on Akko." they can hear the warmth and tenderness in her voice.

"Yeah, she certainly has helped us become better people." Ursula continues saying and that's the moment Jasminka has to move a little and ends up making all of the girls fall in a domino effect.

And of course, they happen to fall right in front of Professor Ursula, who, because of the fright, raised her wand at them.

"Girls!" the red-haired woman admonishes them while putting her weapon away. "What are you doing hiding behind the bushes?!"

Instead of an answer, what they hear is a thunderous laugh coming from the cellphone.

"Croix!" Ursula admonishes her friend and starts murmuring. "No, you can't talk to them."

"I think we have found Professor Ursula's Achilles heel." Constanze writes on her notepad and all the young witches agree.

"Ok, I will let you participate in this discussion." Ursula surrenders before putting the phone on speaker. "Tell me girls, what were you doing hiding behind the bushes?"

This makes Croix laugh loudly.

" _No matter how you say that, it sounds hilarious._ " the lilac-haired woman tells her friend. _"But I also want to know what you were doing there. Not spying on your professor, right?"_

All the girls immediately turn to Amanda, giving her the responsibility of saving them from this situation.

 _But what to do?_

"Of course not!" Amanda says immediately. "We were trying to spy on someone, but not Professor Ursula." she admits the truth and hears all her friends groan.

"And who were you planning on spying Miss O'Neill?" Ursula asks her seriously. "You do know that is an invasion of a person's privacy."

"Of course we know." the younger red-haired says quickly. "But we just had to know if Diana is gay or European."

Silence, as it happened when Amanda first said that in front of the girls, is the answer that comes from Ursula and Croix.

That is, of course, until the lilac-haired woman realizes what the young witch said and started laughing out-loud.

 _"Chariot!"_ Croix tries to say between her laughs. _"Are they even real?"_ she continues cackling. _"Gay or European! HAHAHAHAHA!"_

"It's an important question!" Amanda defends herself while blushing. "Especially since those two…" she points towards Hannah and Barbara. "Think that Diana is acting like a schoolgirl in front of Akko because she's European."

 _"So we were right…"_ Croix chirps happily. _"The Cavendish girl really seems to like our dear Akko."_

"Croix!" Ursula admonishes her.

"You see, they think so too!" Amanda exclaims triumphantly.

"They may be just as confused as you all are…" Hannah starts saying but stops talking when they see green lights coming their way.

"Quick, we must all hide!" Sucy tells them and Jasminka makes sure of grabbing Ursula and placing her behind the bush as well.

"Why are you hiding me?!" the red-haired shrieks. "I don't have to hide."

"Shh!" Lotte is the one that silences the older woman and that makes all the girls, including the red-haired woman, obey. "There they are…"

 _"Chariot, you better go ahead and start a videocall or I will never forgive you."_ Croix threatens her lightly and the red-haired does as said.

"What are they even doing?" Barbara asks while watching the two of them stand in front of each other. "They're not doing any kind of magic."

"Not yet…" Constanze speaks softly and all witches look at the way the two girls join their wands and fireworks start coming out.

Silently, they all stare at the show going on in front of them. Diana, who had taken the lead, was holding Akko close and moving her in perfect circles, making sure of keeping the fireworks and magic around. Akko, meanwhile was twisting and producing shapes out of her own wand. Both of them had bright smiles on their faces and were using their bodies in complete symphony. In fact, they all noticed that Diana took every opportunity to caress the brunette's face and Akko responded to the touch by kissing her palm.

The music soon became dramatic, which meant that the soft choreography changed to an action scene, filled with Akko jumping in the air and being supported by Diana who used enhancing magic on her legs and arms.

"So that's why she asked me to teach her that spell…" Ursula whispers in complete awe.

"They're performing." Hannah says shocked at watching the way her friend was laughing and acting. "And Diana, she looks beautiful."

Remaining quiet until the end, all the witches were simply absorbing everything the two girls in front of them were unconsciously giving them. Although they had known that Diana liked Akko and that the brunette liked the blonde as well; what they were seeing went beyond a simple crush. It was almost as if those two had been destined to be together and fit each other perfectly.

Just as it started, the performance ended, and all witches silently watched as Akko ran towards Diana and hugged her with all her might. The blonde, who was trying her best to not put her hands on the brunette's butt, simply closed her eyes and held Akko tighter, showing them all how she truly felt about her. Although they couldn't hear what they were saying to each other, it was pretty clear that Akko was thanking Diana for her help. And, surprisingly, Diana was doing the same. Both were, in their own ways, completely captivated and enamored by the other.

"You were right…" Amanda hears Hannah tell her from behind. "Diana is gay."

"And you were right too." the red-haired tells her with a soft smile. "She's European as well…"

"So she is gay AND European." Barbara says and that's when all the witches, including Ursula and Croix, laugh out-loud.

"Now girls…" the older woman scolds them. "Tomorrow you will all come to my classroom and stay for detention."

"But…" Amanda starts complaining. "You were spying on them too!"

"That may be." Ursula tells her with a mean smile. "But I'm not the one out during curfew."

"That's just evil." Sucy murmurs proudly. "I like it."

 _"I like it too!"_ they still hear Croix from the cellphone and after laughing at their professor the girls made sure to return to their room.

 _"Seriously, these girls are truly something."_ Croix tells her after making sure that no one else was around.

"Indeed." Ursula gives her a soft smile while sitting in a bench.

 _"That dance brought back many memories…"_ the lilac-haired woman tells her softly. _"Wonderful memories."_

"I could never forget it." the red-haired admits it. "I'm surprised Akko and Diana knew it as well."

 _"They both used the Claiomh Solai when they destroyed the missile."_ Croix reminds her. _"Akko and Diana must have seen the memories of its previous owner and learned the steps."_

"I wonder if we looked like they did while dancing…"

 _"We'll have to ask one of the older witches and see if they were spying on us just like we were doing earlier."_

"Croix!" Ursula reprimands her friend while laughing.

 _"I may not have shown it very much… But I was crazy about you, Chariot."_ Croix confesses softly to her. " _I just… Got lost in the way."_

"I was crazy about you too." Ursula gives her a warm smile. "And you weren't the only one that lost her way." she comforts her friend. "I was selfish too."

 _"I know that there are many things that we still need to talk about…"_ Croix starts saying carefully. _"But I hope that someday you find it in your heart to give me another chance. To make things right. To show you that what I've felt for you all of these years still remains the same."_

This makes Ursula smile brightly.

"Then come to Luna Nova, Croix. When you come to Luna Nova…" she promises her friend. "Come find me. And tell me all of this again."

 _"I'll come to Luna Nova, Chariot."_ Croix vows to her and they both know that it's going to happen very soon.


	3. A Light In The Middle Of My Darkness

Croix is lost and doesn't know what to do after watching Akko break the seal of the Grand Triskellion.  
A little angsty this small piece, but I thought that since in my stories Croix and Akko are really close, a very deep and emotional scene had to happen between them.  
Hence this little piece.

* * *

Croix was terribly confused. Her lifelong dream, her never-ending quest; had been finished by a fifteen-year-old girl. Her non-stop hours of work, her sacrifices and past regrets, had been shown to be all unnecessary and regretful sacrifices by Akko Kagari. The young girl had made her see that her idea of what magic is, had been wrong. Had shown her that Chariot had been right all those years ago. And that, if Croix would have believed in her and supported her (instead of manipulating her and using her to further her selfish desires), they would have also been capable of breaking the seal of the Grand Triskellion.

Why then, were Croix and Chariot not capable of doing the same all those years ago?

Was it because of her jealousy? Or because of their innocence and the fact that there wasn't someone there that protected them from said jealousy. Akko had Chariot besides her, a guidance that had prevented many accidents and calamities from befalling the little witch (Croix being one of them). While in their situation, it was Croix the one that usually had to protect Chariot from herself.

Closing her eyes, Croix didn't know the next step she would have to take. She, with the help of Chariot, had already disposed of all of her SS machines and was patiently waiting for the Ministry to arrive to Luna Nova. She knew that Principal Holbrook had to inform the authorities of what happened and had insisted to the older woman that it was the right thing to do.

Besides, some time away from Luna Nova and her past demons could help her move on.

She had been so focused on the Grand Triskellion and bringing magic back that she had forgotten why SHE had wanted to learn magic.

She had forgotten her dream…

"Excuse me…" Croix hears a hesitant voice asking from outside the door. "Can I come in?"

Looking up, the lilac-haired woman sees Akko smiling softly at her. Surprised, she simply nods and lets the brunette witch sit in front of her.

"I'm surprised to see you here…" she tells her honestly because she had been expecting Akko to stay away from her.

Specially after all she had done to the young girl, she didn't deserve her forgiveness.

"I wanted to come see you…" Akko tells her confidently. "I have so many questions… But I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

Croix chuckles sadly.

"You, Akko, are truly something…" she smiles warmly. "Here you are, worried about making me remember something painful when all I did since I arrived to Luna Nova was prevent you from succeeding and making your dream come true."

"I'm sure you had your reasons for doing so." the brunette tells her softly. "Misguided reasons perhaps, but still, reasons that made you act that way towards me." she gives her a warm smile. "Because the times we didn't talk about magic and its future, I saw a side of you that was good and kind. You were confident in your beliefs and skills. You truly wanted a better world for magic and that is something I respect. Because in your world, people like me, who don't come from magical families, can have the same aspirations and dreams as the rest."

"Akko…" Croix murmurs in complete awe.

"You know how mean and relentless people can be to you when they realize that you're different than them." Akko gives her a knowing smile. "You saw it happen to me many times and intervened on my behalf. You welcomed me with open arms to your class when all the other teachers, expect Ursula-Sensei, tried their best to make me quit Luna Nova."

"But I did it because you were the owner of the Claiomh Solai… To observe you and see what kind of witch you were."

"Perhaps that was one of your reasons…" she tells the older woman brightly. "But surely you could have seen my abilities after one class. And, you could have told me that I wasn't good enough and ask me to leave the class since it was an elective. But you didn't. You even taught me very valuable things, Croix-Sensei."

Croix feels horrible. She didn't deserve this kindness. She deserved to be punished and to be alone. This outstretched hand, offering her understanding and forgiveness, shouldn't be trying to grab her from the darkness.

"Why are you telling me all of these things?" she chokes out while feeling tears falling down. "I hurt you Akko! I used you because I knew how much Chariot cares about you and I wanted to hurt her. I didn't think about your wellbeing and I got you in terrible danger! How can you possibly be there, smiling at me and consoling me? You should hate me for what I have done to you."

"I could never hate you, Sensei. I think I even love you a little." she smiles sadly at the woman and gets even closer to her while grabbing her hands. "When I was using the Shiny Rod, it allowed me to see and feel the memories of its past users. And there was one memory that made me feel so warm and happy. It was of Chariot performing magic before the Lunar Witch contest. There was no one around, and it was in the middle of the night. But Chariot was there doing her magic, smiling and laughing at the fact that she had gotten better at magic."

Akko, with tears in her eyes as well, gives Croix a dashing smile while squeezing her hands tighter.

"And while I was watching all of this, I felt so much happiness and love. A love that didn't correspond to my feelings because I didn't know Chariot. I admired her, and wanted to be like her, but I couldn't love her the way that memory's feelings did. And it took me this long to realize it, but I now know that those were your feelings, Croix-Sensei. You were the one watching Chariot that night, the one telling her that she was a great witch and that her magic was beautiful and true."

Now openly crying, Croix was doing her best to not collapse because of the memories of that night. She had realized that day, while watching Chariot perform, that she loved her friend. It had been way before they got separated. When both of them were excited about being the ones asked to bring magic back.

When they were a team…

"That was such a long time ago." the lilac-haired cries desperately. "I am not the same person I used to be back then."

"I think you could be…" Akko tells her confidently. "And just like you believed all those years ago, I will believe in you, Croix-Sensei. Like I know Chariot will do as well."

"I… I don't deserve this from you, Akko. I don't deserve this from anyone." she continues saying brokenly. "And Chariot, she could never forgive me."

"Would you forgive her, if your situations were the opposite?"

"Yes, I would." Croix surprises herself by the quickness of her answer.

"Then why wouldn't she forgive you as well?" Akko asks her with a soft smile. "I know that she cares about you the same way you do."

"That cannot be. I have hurt her very much. If you only knew how much…"

"I know." Akko whispers sadly. "But I also understand that she hurt you as well… Or at least that's what she thinks, Croix-Sensei."

 _Chariot had hurt me?_

"She blames herself for not being a good friend. For not seeing your pain and being selfish in her dream. For not realizing that her claim of making people happy with magic was making you, her closest friend and the person she most cared about, unhappy." Akko tells her sadly. "And I think she has the same difficulty that you have in forgiving herself for that."

"But I didn't tell her… It wasn't her responsibility!"

"Then perhaps you should tell her that."

"Even if I did…" Croix says defeatedly. "What she did to me doesn't compare to what I did. What I almost caused…"

"That may be…" Akko admits softly to her. "But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to earn forgiveness, right? To try to be better and make your dream come true."

"My dream…" she whispers sadly. "I think I have forgotten what it is."

"To make magic of course!" the young witch tells her happily. "To have people of all backgrounds use magic! To make magic known and to help people like Chariot and I make our dreams come true!"

Croix looks up when she feels a soft body hugging her tight.

"Isn't your dream, Croix-Sensei, a beautiful one? Isn't it worth fighting for?" Akko asks her softly. "Because I believe it is. And I will fight and help you make it come true."

"Akko…" Croix whispers brokenly. "Do I really deserve this?"

"We all deserve love and a second chance, Croix-Sensei." the brunette witch explains to her warmly. "Please, accept it. Embrace it. And be happy."

Crying and nodding, Croix just lets herself go and hugs the young girl that had become a guiding light in her darkness. She had a very long way to go, but today, she had been offered the opportunity to start anew.

And she was not going to waste it.

She was going to embrace it and make things right.

For Akko…

For Chariot…

For herself…

 _Now I understand_ , she kept thinking while getting comforting and kind words from Akko, _why Chariot loves you so much…_


	4. Sometimes People Can Be Very Mean

Chapter Prompt: "Ok more ideas, I think you can make Akko suffering some bullying from some one, professor or student and Chariot "mama bear" Du Nord and Diana "over protective girlfriend" Cavendish protects her, its great."

This One-Shot takes place a couple of days after chapter 2. So basically Diana and Akko are still friends and Croix is still away from Luna Nova.  
Diana is surprised at not being followed by her hoard of students but soon enough finds out why that is...

Trigger warning for this chapter: It discusses bullying and the immediate trauma of being on the receiving end of mistreatment.  
This chapter is a little angstier than my previous one. But, I thought that although the show shows this in a comedic way, the reality is that bullying is always an awful and traumatic experience for the person receiving it.

* * *

Diana was calmly walking around the school, which was a strange and welcomed event. Before the missile crisis, the blonde witch had a group of people surrounding her and asking her for help almost all of the time. And, while she offered them her services and knowledge, there were moments when Diana just wanted to be alone and have time to think about herself.

So the fact that today there was no one around was a nice reprieve for the heiress.

Still, she couldn't help to think that it was too strange that there was no one around. Classes had finished already and usually fellow witches walked around the yards until dinner was ready. To Diana, this meant that there was something else going on.

It meant trouble.

Moving along the flower path, Diana could notice that there was a concentration of students a couple of feet away. They were laughing and screaming while forming a circle. Not understanding very well what was going on, the blonde witch got closer to the commotion and opened her eyes in complete shock when she saw that Akko was in the middle of the circle, trying to perform and use her magic.

"What's going on?" Diana asks confused to a group of seniors who were not in the center of the commotion.

"Diana…" a brunette acknowledges her. "We just got here ourselves a couple of minutes ago."

"But we heard some girls say that Akko was using magic and we wanted to see it. You know, since the missile incident, Akko has been laying relatively low and not using her magic."

Indeed, Akko had become more cautious and calm about using her magic. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that she had already achieved one of her goals by meeting Shiny Chariot; or the fact that meeting her idol and realizing who she truly was had changed what she she thought of magic. Nevertheless, Diana had noticed these changes within Akko and had been supporting her since they returned to Luna Nova.

Because Diana had decided, while watching the stars in space with Akko, to protect the brunette witch from anyone that tried to hurt her.

Because she had realized during the missile crisis that she liked Akko.

Like liked her more than friends.

And Diana, who was determined and decisive once she made up her mind about something, had promised herself to spend more time with Akko in order to get to know her better.

And Akko, being her warm and welcoming self, had allowed her to come to her practices, to hang out with her friends and to accompany her during her night shows.

She had even taught Diana some routines and dances that she had created following the choreography and style her mentor used during her time as Shiny Chariot.

But, being with Akko all the time also meant that the blonde heiress was one of the few people who knew why Akko wasn't using her magic in public.

And it was because of the fact that Akko couldn't do the type of magic she had done during the missile crisis.

Professor Croix had explained to them that the Shiny Rod took magic directly from Yggdrasil. That meant that unlike the rest of wands that took magic from the Leylines, the energy source of the Shiny Rod was 100 times more powerful.

Which meant that the user of the Shiny Rod would automatically have more magic and would be capable of creating bigger and more powerful spells.

So, when Akko started to use her wand again, she noticed that she was no longer capable of using the same spells she had used with the Shiny Rod. And the brunette witch, who was saddened but still determined to become an entertainer, had decided to not do any kind of public magic until her current skills could match the ones she showed on live television.

Which was why Diana was completely baffled about watching Akko go against her earlier wishes. It made the blonde witch think of the current situation and what had happened before she arrived.

"Diana!" she hears the familiar voice of Lotte calling her. "Thank Jennifer you're here!"

"What happened?" she asks carefully while stepping away from the seniors. "Why is Akko doing magic when she said she wanted to practice more before doing so?"

"It wasn't her fault." Sucy tells her bitterly. "She is protecting us."

"What do you mean?" Diana asks worriedly.

"They mean that Akko is trying to protect us after we made some seniors get mad at us." Amanda tells her angrily while also getting close. "They started insulting Jasminka and Constanze, calling them freaks, and I got angry." she murmurs dejectedly.

"And Amanda immediately tried to fight them although they were three against one." Jasminka whispers softly.

"They were going to jinx me." the red-haired continues her story. "Until Akko, Lotte and Sucy arrived and asked them to stop bothering us."

"The seniors immediately laughed at Akko and told her that if she now thought of herself as some sort of hero or powerful witch because of the missile incident." Sucy explains to her.

"She honestly didn't want to do it." Lotte says while crying. "But those seniors said that if she wanted them to leave Amanda and her friends alone, then she would have to perform for them."

Diana feels herself getting angrier and angrier with each new thing that she was learning. Akko, of course, would immediately run and defend her friends from stronger and more powerful witches. That was the brunette's essence and one of the reasons why Diana admired and liked her so much.

"Where are the professors?" Diana asks worriedly.

"They're in a meeting." Jasminka tells them sadly. "I heard earlier that they were going to discuss allowing more witches like Akko enroll in the school."

"Do you think that has something to do with all of this?" Sucy asks confused. "That they planned all of this as a way to reject Akko and witches like her?"

"It's too much of a coincidence to not see it that way." Diana murmurs while noticing who the seniors were. "McCallister, she forms part of the student council. So I'm sure she must be aware of the professors' plans."

"She was the one that started insulting Jasminka." Amanda says angrily. "It's like they sat where we always sit and out of nowhere began saying these awful things about my friends. I couldn't just stay quiet and let her do so." she apologizes with tears in her eyes.

"Of course not." Diana gives her a soft smile. "You wouldn't be you if you did. And I'm sure Akko knows that as well."

"After Akko agreed to their terms, they pushed us out of the circle and the rest of their friends are preventing us from going in." Lotte says angrily while again trying to push her way through. "Let me in!"

"No way stupid pixie." one of the seniors tells her with a mean smile. "Just stay quiet and watch the show your friend will show us."

"Will you also stop me from going through?" Diana asks the same girl darkly and this makes her gulp and move away.

Moving forward, Diana can see that Akko has tears in her eyes and that she's murmuring spells and incantations that are not taking any effect.

"What's wrong Akko?!" McCallister mocks her. "Can't you do it?" she laughs out-loud. "Realizing that you're just as useless as you've always been?"

"I knew that it was all fake." another girl exclaims happily. "That it must have all been done by the Cavendish girl and Akko just tagged along."

"Some hero you are." McCallister tells Akko and uses her wand to push her to the ground. "Always acting all happy and innocent around the school. I honestly don't understand how you made your way here…" she smiles menacingly. "But I'm sure that even you will want to leave after this…" she prepares to do a spell but is stopped by Diana.

"Don't you dare touch her." Diana whispers angrily and all the witches preventing her from getting close to Akko begin to step away.

"Why are you moving?!" the girl that was attacking Akko screams at them. "We are more than them! Even the great Diana Cavendish cannot dodge 12 spells."

"If you don't move…" the blonde heiress continues threatening them and she can feel her magic starting to lose control. "I will not be responsible for the injuries you may obtain."

"Injuries?!" McCallister laughs out-loud. "Are you seriously going to defend this pest, Cavendish? Do you even know what those old witches want to do?! They want to let other girls like Akko come to Luna Nova! Just because she became a little popular and will get the school more money."

"If more people like Akko find their way to Luna Nova then that's a good thing for the school and the witch community." Diana says honestly and without hesitation. "Because it is witches like you…" she points her wand at McCallister. "The ones that are embarrassing our community and magic."

"You…" McCallister says angrily. "You dare go against me? The heiress to the McCallister family, one of the oldest families of witches that was founded by Sandra the Pure, one of the Olde Nine Witches?"

"I dare." she responds to the challenge. "Because I will not let you hurt Akko."

"You care that much about her, Cavendish? You, the Ice Queen, are only looking out for the dumb Akko because it will help you look better."

This makes Diana move McCallister's friends out of the way and push her way in. Using her wand to create a diversion, she immediately goes to where Akko is and places herself in front of the brunette witch.

"Akko is my friend!" she tells them all loudly. "She is wonderful, kind, loving and generous. And I will protect her from anyone that tries to tell her that she's not good enough or doesn't deserve to be here. Because the truth is that she's the most deserving of all of us!"

"Patricia!" one of McCallister's pawns runs towards her. "The old witches are done with their meeting. They'll be coming soon."

Huffing in annoyance, McCallister lowers her wand and tells the rest to do so as well.

"I will not forget this Cavendish." she threatens the blonde who doesn't reply to her and then focuses on Akko." Seems that you were lucky today, Akko." she moves so that the brunette can watch her from behind Diana. "But I hope you remember what people at Luna Nova truly think about you…" she smirks knowingly. "That you, no matter how hard you try, will never be one of us." the older girl laughs and turns away from them.

The moment McCallister walks away from Akko and Diana, the rest of witches that were watching the scene follow her lead and soon enough only Akko, Diana, Jasminka, Constanze, Lotte and Sucy are the only ones that remain. Kneeling down, Diana takes a look at her friend and sees the way she's holding her hands tightly, leaving fingernail marks on her arms.

"Akko…" she whispers brokenly while using her magic to heal her.

"I'm sorry Akko!" Amanda immediately pushes Diana away and tries to hug Akko, who flinches and tries to cover herself. "I'm so sorry I lost my temper and you had to help me." she cries while doing her best to not scare the brunette witch. "I'm sorry." she repeats.

Akko doesn't answer her.

"She's in shock." Sucy whispers sadly while taking her friend's hand and squeezing it tight. "Stupid Akko, always putting others first."

Diana, who was finished with healing her friend, tries to take her hand but the brunette witch screams and pushes her away.

"She's not responding to any of us." Jasminka says worriedly.

"It's like she hasn't realized that McCallister is gone." Lotte says while looking around them. "Help! Someone help us!" no one answers her. "Why is no one around?!"

Diana, knowing that Ursula-Sensei had taught Akko a spell to use in case of extreme emergencies, got slowly closer to the brunette girl, who was warily watching her every move.

"Akko…" she whispers to her soothingly. "Can you call Ursula-Sensei? I need her." she appeals to Akko's need to put others first and is not disappointed when the brunette murmurs a spell and fireworks in the shape of stars come out from her wand.

"Do you think Ursula-Sensei will see them?" Amanda starts to ask but is answered when the red-haired professor comes running from one of the school buildings.

"Akko!" she screams and stops when she sees Diana kneeling a fair distance away from Akko.

Getting closer to her pupil, she notices that Akko is not responding to her voice and is holding her face while moving from side to side.

"What happened?!" Ursula asks them and all the witches lower their heads and tears start pouring out of their eyes.

Even Diana had started crying.

"I couldn't reach her in time…" the blonde heiress chokes out.

"She saved us." Amanda cries as well.

"It wasn't her fault." Lotte whispers again while looking at Ursula. "Some seniors were attacking Amanda, Jasminka and Constanze. Amanda, wanting to defend her friends, started a fight but was stopped by Akko before it even began."

"That bitch planned it all." the red-haired American tells her bitterly. "She knew what to say so I would react; and she knew that Akko would help us if she knew we were in trouble."

"Akko tried to tell her that there was no reason to fight but the senior challenged Akko to use magic. If she did, then she would no longer attack Amanda and the rest." Sucy continues explaining to the professor.

"But she couldn't do the spells." Lotte whispers dejectedly. "They wanted to see the same spells she used on television but Akko couldn't use them. So the seniors started to laugh at her and tell her awful things."

"McCallister started to use her magic to throw her to the floor and to make her fall." Diana says angrily after having recovered her voice. "I intervened and soon enough she was going to attack me as well because I was defending Akko." she looks at Ursula worriedly. "They knew that you were all in a meeting discussing the possibility of allowing witches from non-magical families to come to Luna Nova."

"And they wanted to make an example out of Akko." Constanze says sadly and her sad whisper is what kills them all.

"They did all of this to Akko just because of that meeting?" Ursula whispers heartbroken. "They attacked and verbally abused Akko because of where she comes from?!" the older woman's voice starts getting louder.

"After they left, we couldn't get Akko to respond to us." Sucy says sadly. "Every time one of us tries to get close to her she flinches and starts screaming."

"We didn't know what to do." Amanda adds brokenly. "So Diana thought of calling you."

"Akko trusts you the most." Diana explains to Ursula who was doing her best to not go and find McCallister. "Professor, I know what you feel…" she whispers to the red-haired woman. "But Akko needs us right now." she says and those words are what makes Ursula relax.

"Ok…" she says softly and slowly walks towards Akko, who had been watching them all talk with warily eyes. "Akko…" the brunette immediately looks at her. "Are you alright? Can I get closer?"

No answer.

"It's me Akko, Ursula." the red-haired explains to the girl while closing the distance even more than before. "I saw your fireworks…" she smiles sadly at her student. "They were beautiful."

Loosening her hands from her head, the girls notice the way Akko starts relaxing her position.

"They were?" the brunette chokes out and all the girls cry in relief.

"Yes Akko! They were spectacular." Ursula cries and hugs Akko tightly, immediately feeling the girl tense up before letting go and returning the hug.

"Ursula-Sensei…" Akko cries and squeezes her tighter. "They were in trouble…" she explains to her mentor. "And I just couldn't simply watch and not help. I had to help me." she repeats while crying even louder than before.

"I am so proud of you Akko." Ursula chokes out and separates from Akko so the brunette can see her. "You deserve to be here. You are a wonderful witch that will achieve great things in the future. I'm certain of it. I will help you make your dreams come true."

This makes Akko cry even more and to again hug the person that had become like a mother to her.

 _Her protector…_

"Are Amanda, Jasminka and Constanze alright?" she asks worriedly.

"We are." Amanda answers her softly. "Thanks to you."

"Then I'm glad I intervened." Akko gives her friends a soft smile and that makes the American cry even harder than before.

She looks for Diana and watches the blonde girl slowly getting closer.

"And you saved me again." she whispers to her friend who was slowly becoming something more. "Thank you."

"I will always be here for you Akko." Diana promises her vehemently. "Because you deserve to be a witch Akko. There's no one more deserving than you and I know that you'll show all of them your worth."

"I tried to do the spells you taught me but I was so nervous that they didn't work." Akko tells her softly. "You know, the ones to use in case of an emergency…"

"That's alright Akko." she gives her friend a soft smile. "We can practice them again until you master them."

"Why?" she asks simply and this makes all the witches stare curiously at them. "Why are you helping me Diana? Why did you publicly go against an heiress of the nine olde witches?"

"Because I care about you Akko!" Diana tells her immediately. "Because you're my best friend!" she exclaims and notices the way Akko's eyes open in shock.

 _Because I like you,_ Diana doesn't say it but thinks it.

"You consider me your best friend?" Akko asks vulnerably. "Even if I don't come from a magical family and will usually fail to do spells, you still want to be my friend?"

"Of course I do!" the blonde witch smiles happily at her. "Being with you, doing things with you, is always an adventure, Akko. And who wouldn't want to be in one?"

This makes Akko smile warmly at her before staring at her friends who were watching her with soft eyes.

"Will you also wish to stay my friends? Even though it seems that doing so will bring you trouble?"

"You're worth it Akko." Lotte tells her quickly.

"It is very hard to find a reliable and strong testing subject." Sucy gives her a warm smile.

"Besides, who will teach you how to dance while flying?" Amanda winks at her.

"And who will help me eat all my sweets?" Jasminka says while giving her a chocolate.

"Who will help me build my new legion of megazords?" Constanze writes on her notepad and all the witches, including Akko, laugh out-loud.

"And you, Sensei…" Akko turns to look at her professor with a warm smile. "Will you let me stay by your side?"

"For as long as you want." Ursula smiles brightly at her. "I love you Akko." she says for the first time those words to the girl that had changed her life for the best.

 _The girl who had said them to her first when she needed them the most._

"I love you too Sensei." Akko tells her with a happy smile and tears in her and allows Diana and Ursula to pull her upwards.

 _Sometimes people can be very mean,_ Akko thinks while remembering McCallister and her group of friends.

 _But other times,_ she watches her friends laughing with each other and her eyes immediately focus on Diana, _they can keep you going._


	5. A Catantastic Birthday Party!

One-Shot takes place after Diana and Akko have confessed their feelings to each other and Croix is still working at the Ministry. Fluff all the way!

* * *

 _"I'm coming to Luna Nova."_ is the first thing Croix tells her when she answers the phone.

"You are?!" Akko asks excitedly while getting closer to Diana who was reading a book. "Croix-Sensei said that she's coming to Luna Nova!"

"That's great news!" Diana agrees and grabs the brunette's hand tenderly. She knew how much her girlfriend cared about Professor Croix. "When will you be coming?"

 _"That's the thing…"_ the woman says while chuckling. _"I may have angered Finneran before I left Luna Nova all those months ago."_ she continues explaining. _"And she may have placed a curse on the Leyline that connects Luna Nova to the Ministry."_

"She did what?!" Diana asks worriedly.

 _"The curse only affects me."_ she calms the blonde witch immediately.

"What you did to her…" Akko interrupts them. "Was it worth it?"

 _"Hell yes."_ Croix smirks wickedly. _"Although I didn't realize that she would react in such a way. And I need to get to Luna Nova."_

"Perhaps an apology letter may get Professor Finneran to eliminate the curse?" Diana suggests to her.

 _"It has to be tomorrow. Eliminating the spell will take Finneran too long, even if she agrees to do it."_

"Tomorrow is Ursula-Sensei's birthday." Akko realizes why the lilac-haired woman was anxious about arriving as soon as possible.

"Then we could tell Ursula-Sensei what happened and we can meet you in town." Diana tries to think of other options and plans.

 _"I want it to be special…"_ Croix whispers to them. _"And I want to confess to her how I feel where we first met."_

"That's so romantic!" Akko gushes and gives her girlfriend her best puppy eyes. "Come on, Diana we must help her. Surely you can think of a way to bring her here."

This makes Diana chuckle and hug her brunette tightly. She just couldn't resist it when Akko asked her for help with those big, red eyes.

"I'm pretty sure Professor Croix also thought of a way to come here. Which I guess is why she called us?" Diana asks knowingly to the older woman who nods in confirmation.

 _"I found a way to travel through the Leyline without being cursed. But, I will need another witch to carry me."_

"So you want us to go to town, meet with you and then bring you back to Luna Nova?" Akko asks and then smiles devilishly. "You'll have to transform so we can carry you."

 _"Indeed, and I have the perfect animal in mind."_

"No." the brunette witch interrupts her, earning the surprised looks of Diana and Croix. "We will help you." she promises her professor. "But we'll get to choose the animal you'll transform to."

This makes Diana smirk and nod in support. She had no idea what her girlfriend was thinking, but knowing her, it would be something that would surely help Croix and Ursula.

 _"Ok…"_ Croix agrees with them because she had no other way to get to Luna Nova.

Chariot was definitely out of the question because she wanted to surprise the woman.

"We'll pick you up tomorrow morning before Ursula-Sensei wakes up." Akko plans everything.

 _"Then I guess that means I'll see you both tomorrow!"_ Croix tells them happily. _"Thank you again, for always being there for me."_

"Of course Professor Croix." Diana is the one that tells her and hangs up. "So darling…" she says to Akko while hugging her from behind. "What have you planned?"

This makes Akko chuckle warmly.

"I can't get anything past you." the brunette jokes teasingly. "Remember that potion you showed me a few days ago and how you told me that you wanted to find a person to try it on?"

"Yes…" Diana asks confused.

"Let's try it on Croix-Sensei." she says with a happy smile on her face.

LWALWALWA

Anxiously waiting for the young couple to arrive, Croix was going over her plan. She had meticulously organized her day in a way that would make it as productive as possible. She was going to spend all morning and afternoon with Chariot. And at night, with the moon high in the sky and the starts shinning bright above them; she was going to confess her love.

It was a perfect plan that shouldn't fail her. Not when Chariot told her to come back to her. And, it may have taken her longer than what she thought, but she was finally free from the Ministry and was allowed to stay wherever she wanted.

But Croix, and the Ministry, knew very well that her new home would most probably be at Luna Nova.

 _Because Chariot was there and Chariot was her home._

Smiling and moving from side to side after seeing Akko and Diana, the older woman runs towards the two witches and hugs Akko tightly. It had been weeks since she last saw the young witch and she had missed her terribly.

"Akko!" Croix exclaims brightly while keeping her locked in her arms. "I've missed you so much!"

"So have I." Akko promises her while squeezing her as well. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Diana…" Croix doesn't know if the blonde witch will allow her to hug her, but is surprised when Diana is the one that starts the embrace. "I have missed you as well."

"The feeling is mutual." Diana promises her warmly. "It is nice to see you looking and doing well."

"Time away from Luna Nova and the Claiomh Solai has made me see things with a new perspective. Made me realize that I don't need that kind of power in order to improve or bring back magic."

"I'm proud of you." Akko tells her with a warm smile. "And I'm sure Ursula-Sensei will be even prouder and happier." she gets close to the lilac-haired witch to whisper in her ear. "She has missed you too."

"As have I." Croix says softly. "She was still asleep before you left, right?"

"Well, she must have been. During the weekends, she likes to oversleep. Says that it is because during those days the older witches don't ask her to do their jobs or run around school." Diana explains to the older woman.

"But let's not linger any longer." Akko suggests to them. "Instead, let's go ahead and tell Croix-Sensei what animal she must transform to!" she grins wickedly and whispers to Croix their chosen animal.

"Really?" Croix murmurs completely bored. She was expecting a more difficult animal. "Metamorphie Faciesse!" she chants the spell and feels herself get shorter.

"She looks adorable!" the brunette witch exclaims while bending down and picking Croix. "And her hair is also lilac."

Diana chuckles and starts caressing Croix, which makes her purr in contentment.

 _Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to turn into a cat if they continue to touch me like that…_

"Ok, let's go!" Akko starts walking towards the Leyline and Croix tenses a little.

Although she was confident the effects of the spell wouldn't affect her, she was still concerned about the possibility of her calculations being wrong.

 _"I thought you said the curse wouldn't affect you like this…"_ Diana asks her worriedly in cat-tongue.

 _"It shouldn't."_ she reaffirms. _"But still, thinking that in this Leyline there is a curse with my name written on it…"_

 _"She's right."_ Akko says as well and this earns her a surprised expression from cat Croix. " _Diana has been teaching me languages. Turns out that cat tongue was one of the easiest ones for me."_ she explains proudly.

 _"Usually it tends to be the opposite. Birds are easier while mammals are harder."_

 _"She did learn fish language in a day..."_ Diana chuckles warmly. " _Good,_ _we did it."_ she simply says and is thankful to Akko who successfully distracted their professor.

 _"Ok, so now that we're through you can let me go. I'll return to my normal self and then we'll be headed to Luna Nova!"_ Croix exclaims happily. _"Metamorphie Faciesse!"_ she repeats her earlier spell and is surprised when nothing happens.

 _Why isn't it working?_

Turning to look at the younger girls to inform them of her situation, she sees Akko giving her a knowing look and that's the moment Croix realizes she has been played by the two lovers.

 _"Akko!"_ she exclaims while angrily hissing at her. _"What did you do?!"_

" _We just placed on you a potion that will prevent you from becoming a human until midnight."_ Diana explains to her.

 _"Midnight!"_ Croix says desperately. _"Why would you even do something like this to me?"_

 _"Do you remember what happened the last time I saw you?"_ Akko asks her knowingly and this makes Croix gulp in regret.

She thought Akko had forgiven her for that…

 _"I thought you said you didn't mind."_ cat Croiw meows sadly.

 _"I don't."_ Akko smiles softly at her. " _Do you trust me, Sensei?"_

 _"Until a few minutes ago yes I did! But now I'm not so sure."_

 _"Believe me when I tell you that I'm doing this in order to help you with Ursula-Sensei."_

 _"She's right."_ Diana agrees with her girlfriend. _"It may seem like Akko's plan is preventing you from planning your excellent confession; but then again, how many times has Akko made terrible situations become wonderful and endearing moments?"_

 _"Is that why you went along with this?"_ she asks the blonde witch menacingly.

Diana merely shrugs.

 _"The fact that you're using my propensity to get luckily out of things is not very charming Diana."_ Akko murmurs to her girlfriend while kicking the floor childishly.

The blonde witch notices this and hugs her girlfriend before starting to pepper her face with kisses.

Before, Diana had been scared of acting like this with Akko; of being warm and loving in public. But, after learning that in reality her girlfriend was very insecure, the blonde heiress decided to take the reins in the relationship and become tactile and open when it came to showing her affection.

It had done wonders to boost Akko's confidence and happiness…

 _I guess she's right about that,_ Croix thinks and decides that it was more urgent to go to Luna Nova than to get those two witches to give her the antidote.

But how would she even talk and be with Chariot if she was in this form?!

 _"I refuse! Stop kissing and making dovey eyes at each other and give me the antidote!"_ Croix tells them angrily while feeling her hair rising.

Before the young witches could answer her, Croix hears with her enhanced cat ears a very familiar and frightening voice coming their way.

 _Shit, she had forgotten to tell them to not get out of the Leyline so close to the school!_

"Miss Cavendish and Miss Kagari." Professor Finneran tells the girls hauntingly. "May I ask what you're doing here instead of being at the school?"

"Professor Finneran…" Diana gives her a polite smile. "Akko and I just had to run to town to get some things from the library." she explains and shows the woman a cart full of books.

 _When did they even have the time to grab those?_

"Is that really all?" the older witch asks them suspiciously. "What about that lilac cat behind Miss Kagari's legs?"

 _She found me!_

"Oh, we just found her in town and Akko begged me to bring her with us. She was injured and we healed her." the blonde continues explaining.

 _Diana Cavendish is seriously a master manipulator._

"I couldn't leave her there without knowing if she was going to be alright…" Akko smiles warmly. "And Diana had been explaining earlier to me that soon enough we'll have to choose our familiars. So, I wanted to use this cat."

 _No way… Akko too? What has happened during my time away?!_

"It seems that your relationship with Miss Cavendish has been quite beneficial to you, Miss Kagari." Professor Finneran tells them honestly and Croix doesn't feel the remark was sarcastic or ill-mannered.

"May we ask what you're doing here Professor Finneran? It is quite strange to see you near the school's borders." the brunette witch asks politely.

"Oh, just some sensors that I had placed a couple of months ago were activated and I came to see what that was about." the older witch looks around her while moving her wand in circles.

 _She had sensors even outside the school!_ Croix thinks worriedly and thanks Diana and Akko for their quick thinking and for not giving her the antidote earlier.

"Perhaps they lost their affinity?" Diana suggests to the older woman. "I have read that happens sometimes with spells that are cast for too long."

"Indeed, that may have happened." Professor Finneran tells Diana with a soft smile. "Now, you should go ahead and return to your dorms before lunch begins. While you may take this cat, Miss Kagari, it can only stay in your room."

"Understood." Akko gives the older woman a bright smile and bends down before grabbing cat Croix and carrying her to the school in her arms.

 _"You must have done something very wicked to her, Croix-Sensei…"_ Akko chuckles while caressing her head and Croix is too relaxed to answer her.

Yes, being a cat was not bad at all.

LWALWALWA

 _"Now, return me to my human self."_ Croix demands the girls who giggle and shriek in happiness.

 _"She just looks adorable!"_ Akko says loudly while peppering her face with kisses and Croix should do something to stop her but she is really enjoying the love and warm touches.

 _"Maybe Croix-Sensei was a cat in a past life."_ Diana smirks from Akko's bed and this makes Croix growl in annoyance.

 _"Cheeky! Being with Akko has certainly given you a sense of humor."_ she says while turning her back on the blonde witch.

 _"Croix-Sensei don't be like that!"_ Diana says to her and starts massaging her body which forces Croix to purr and lay herself down.

 _Damn it!_

 _"It's not Diana's fault."_ Akko tells her happily while watching her girlfriend laugh and play with cat Croix. _"It was my idea to do this."_

 _"I know that I owed you from your last visit to town…"_ Croix says softly while remembering the joke she played on Akko and how angry the young girl had been. _"But you've had your fun now and Chariot will be waking up very soon."_

 _"Well, the thing is…"_ the brunette witch blushes while looking embarrassed. _"We kinda didn't know that the curse we gave you had conditions that needed to be met before the spell can be broken."_

 _"Wait, you said you gave me a curse?!"_ she screams and is sure people only heard her hissing and meowing because she was a cat.

 _"In our defense, we didn't know that it was a curse until we tried to turn you back into a human before Professor Finneran arrived to the gate."_ Diana explains to her.

 _"So are you saying that I will have to stay a cat forever?!"_

 _"Of course not!"_ Akko smiles happily at her. _"It will be easy for you to break the curse!"_

 _"And very romantic if you ask me…"_ Diana adds with a warm smile.

 _"All you need to do is get Ursula-Sensei to give you a true love's kiss before midnight!"_

 _"Because if you don't then you will really stay in the form a cat for all your life."_ the blonde finishes explaining with an apologetic smile.

Before Croix-Sensei can even think of an answer to give the girls, she hears the bell ring.

 _"Lunch time!"_ Akko yells excitedly and gets up from the bed. _"Come on Diana, I'm starving!"_ she says to her girlfriend who shrugs her shoulders and stands as well.

 _"Wait, what about me?"_ Croix asks them worriedly.

 _"We have plenty of time Sensei! Don't worry. Besides, you need food as well."_

 _"But we do need to be careful with her. If Professor Finneran sees her then she'll take her out."_ Diana adds calmly and uses her wand to create a small purse. _"Here…"_ she gives it to Akko who shrieks in excitement and kisses her soundly on the lips.

 _"Thank you!"_ she says happily while grabbing cat Croix and placing her in the bag. _"You look even more adorable than before."_

 _"I'm a person, not a toy."_ Croix murmurs embarrassed. _"I should just go see Chariot and get this over with…"_

This makes Akko pout.

 _"But Ursula-Sensei will most probably be there having lunch as well since she probably just woke up."_ Diana adds with a soft smile.

 _Croix was getting scared of Diana…_

 _"Fine…"_ Croix meows defeated. _"But only because I have to eat and Chariot will be there."_ she then looks at Akko. _"And not a single word to anyone about who I am, understood?!"_

 _"Of course!"_ Akko gives her a dashing smile and it worries Croix immensely.

 _What was she not telling her?_

 _"Now, let's go before they stop serving food!"_ the brunette witch smiles warmly and puts the bag with cat Croix in one of her arms and grabs Diana's hand with her other free-hand.

" _You two really look adorable."_ Croix tells them while watching the familiar hallways pass by. _"I'm glad to see you're feeling better Akko."_

 _"It took some time…"_ Akko says softly. _"But I'm confident in who I am and what I can be."_ she then looks at Diana. _"It also doesn't hurt that the smartest and most beautiful girl of Luna Nova is dating me."_

This makes Diana blush deeply.

 _Akko still has it…_ cat Croix smirks and starts meowing when she smells the food coming from the dining room.

 _"Shh!"_ Diana warns her while petting her. _"Remember that you're not even supposed to be here!"_

 _"I didn't know that I was starving!"_ Croix complains but does her best to stay quiet. _"Food."_

 _"Ok, ok, I'll go get us food. You go find an empty table."_ the blonde witch tells Akko and they both watch her stand in line.

 _"So…"_ Akko tells her with a warm smile. _"How does it feel being back at Luna Nova?"_

 _"Right now all I can feel is my stomach growling."_ the lilac-haired cat hisses at the young witch.

 _"So grumpy."_

 _"I'm a cat."_ Croix says darkly. _"Of course I will be grumpy."_

"Akko!" Croix hears some girls calling the brunette witch.

 _"It's Lotte, Sucy and the green team."_ she explains calmly. _"They don't speak cat tongue. So, we'll make them think that you're a stray cat I found and that I want to keep you."_ she finishes saying before raising her hand. "Here!"

"Hi Akko!" Lotte tells her with a warm smile while sitting in front of her.

"Akko!" Amanda smiles devilishly at her. "How surprising it is to see you come in time on a Saturday."

"Diana and I had some things to do in town." the brunette simply explains while making space for Diana who had returned with their food.

"Good morning." the heiress tells them before taking some cheese and ham from a napkin.

"Don't tell me you're now going to start feeding each other…" Sucy murmurs and this makes Croix chuckle.

"No!" Akko and Diana say at the same time while blushing.

"At least not in public…" the blonde witch whispers embarrassed and Croix is sure she was the only one that heard her because of her heightened senses.

 _Kinky Diana…_

"Besides, today is Ursula-Sensei's birthday so we wanted to spend the day with her."

"Oh that's right!" Lotte says excitedly. "Have you planned something?"

"We bought a birthday cake on our way back." Diana informs them all happily.

Croix had not seen that cake…

"And is Professor Croix coming?" Sucy asks Akko simply.

"Well…" she starts saying and Croix decides to intervene right there by meowing.

"What was that?" Jasminka asks while looking around them.

"It came from Akko's bag." Constanze writes on her notepad and all the girls immediately circle it.

"It's a cat!" Amanda shrieks excitedly but immediately quietens when Akko and Diana scold her.

"Shh! No one can know that she's here!" Akko warns her.

"Sorry…" she apologizes and immediately starts caressing cat Croix who purrs contently. "She even has lilac-hair!"

"Reminds me of someone." Sucy says and this makes Croix stare worriedly at her.

"She looks just like Croix-Sensei right?!" the brunette witch says immediately.

"We thought so as well when we found her." Diana smiles brightly. "Which is why we brought her to Luna Nova."

"She's going to be a gift for Ursula-Sensei!" Akko says happily and this makes cat Croix stop moving.

 _Wait, what?_

"A gift?" Croix hears a familiar voice and feels her small heart beating quickly at the sight of Chariot in front of her.

 _I don't know if it's because of my cat eyes, but she looks even more beautiful than when I last saw her..._

"Ursula-Sensei happy birthday!" Akko exclaims while standing up to hug the woman tightly.

"Thank you Akko." she smiles warmly.

"We brought you a cake as well!" Diana says and with a flick of her wand a cake appears in front of them.

"Now let's sing!" the brunette witch guides her friends and soon enough Chariot is blowing the candles with a happy smile on her face.

"I don't know what to say girls…" she whispers and Croix knows that her friend is close to tears.

"Diana and I…" Akko starts saying softly. "We are very thankful for all you have done for us. For being by our side when we needed you the most and for loving us like a mother would."

"You know we both lost our parents when we were very young." Diana continues saying. "So the fact that we both found you and got the opportunity to be helped and loved by the woman we admired so much when we were young… It has been a dream come true."

"We love you very much Ursula-Sensei." Akko adds warmly.

"Akko… Diana…" Chariot says with tears in her eyes and Croix knows she's crying as well.

"Which is why we wanted to give you something." Diana says happily and brings the bag to the table.

"What is it?" Chariot asks curiously and yelps in surprise when cat Croix comes out of the bag.

"Surprise!" Akko screams and Croix smiles in contentment.

LWALWALWA

 _I'm saved,_ Croix thinks while watching Alcor standing in his seat.

After Akko and Diana had given her to Chariot, Croix had happily waited until they arrived to the red-haired woman's room before explaining the situation to her. She was certain that now the curse would be broken and that Chariot and her could spend their remaining time talking and having a nice picnic in the yard with Akko and Diana.

"Seriously, those girls…" Chariot says with a warm smile on her face. "Giving me a cat out of nowhere."

 _"Chariot! Chariot!"_ Croix screams and starts moving when she sees her favorite person bending in front of her. _"It's me, Croix!"_ she continues saying desperately. _"The girls accidentally placed a curse on me and I need you to kiss me so I can turn back to a human!"_

"So talkative." she says to her and Croix opens her eyes in shock.

 _No way…_

 _"Kiss me! Kiss me!"_ she uses her paws to climb Chariot's legs and starts caressing herself with her arm.

"I like you too." she starts scratching her head and Croix purrs wantonly.

 _DAMN IT!_

Wanting to make Chariot realize who she was, Croix tries to stand on two legs and starts walking through the room.

"You can do tricks like that?!" Chariot claps her hands happily. "What a clever cat."

 _I'm clever because I'm a human!_ she thinks and again tries to talk to the red-haired woman.

"You talk so much." she chuckles. "Wish I knew how to speak cat tongue. Unfortunately, I never got used it. But, Akko and Diana can speak it very well!"

 _Those two…_ Croix thinks darkly while growling in anger, _they knew Chariot couldn't speak cat tongue and planned this all right from the start._

 _I will kill them!_ is the last thing Croix thinks before running away from the room.

"No wait!" she hears Chariot say while things start falling. "You can't go alone!"

 _I will find those two brats and kill them…_ she says to herself while running as fast as she could.

Moving through the halls, she's lucky that not many girls are outside but are instead taking the time to nap and play games with each other. She had heard Diana and Akko tell Chariot that they would be having a picnic in the main garden. So, that was where Croix was heading.

Swiftly, Croix quickly sees the two girls eating and hisses at them before jumping straight at Akko, who notices her and shrieks before moving her upwards.

 _"What happened?"_

 _"You knew Chariot doesn't speak cat tongue!"_ Croix yells at her while trying to set herself free. _"She doesn't recognize me!"_

 _"Really? But you look just like your human self…"_ Diana says confused.

 _"Maybe she doesn't think that Croix is coming to see her today."_ Akko adds softly. _"You know you haven't spoken to her for a week."_

 _"Because I was busy finishing and getting things ready for today! So I could surprise her with my confession and my freedom!"_ she then looks angrily at the young witches. _"Tell her that it's me."_

 _"We can't."_ Diana says worriedly. _"It's part of the curse. The person you need to kiss cannot know that you're a human."_

 _"Then how will she kiss me when she thinks I'm just a normal cat!"_ Croix looks upwards and sees that it's starting to get late. _"What the hell happened to the sun?!"_

 _"We were just getting done with our picnic because it's getting late."_ Akko says to her. _"In fact, we were going to see if Ursula-Sensei had broken the curse."_

 _"You probably fell asleep while waiting for Ursula-Sensei. Cats tend to sleep a lot."_ Diana explains to her.

 _"I know cats sleep!"_ she shrieks. _"I'm just terrified that I spent the last… What time is it?"_

 _"7pm…"_ the brunette witch whispers worriedly.

 _"The last five hours sleeping!"_

 _"We will fix this!"_ Diana promises her confidently. _"Akko and I will go to the library to search information on a way to break the curse without having Ursula-Sensei kiss you."_

Croix knew that it was going to be a futile search since curses tended to only be broken in one way…

That's why they were so tricky.

 _"You should go back to Ursula's room. Be with her and get her to feel that it's you."_ Akko gives her a hopeful smile. _"I believe in the love and bond you two have. Perhaps you should start doing the same?"_

 _Believe in my bond…_

LWALWALWA

Slowly making her way to Chariot's room, Croix was thinking of what had happened to her today. Her plan, her confession; it had all gone horribly wrong. Now here she was, alone in the hallways of Luna Nova, getting closer to the possibility of staying as a cat.

Crying in exasperation, she sees that she's very close to the red-haired woman's room. Walking upwards, probably because of her melancholy she fails to hear footsteps coming her way.

"What are you doing here?" Professor Finneran asks while using her magic to hold Croix still. "I told Miss Kagari that you couldn't be outside her room and look where I find you."

Croix starts meowing and trying to get away.

"I guess I will have to give her some detention and return you to her room…" she murmurs and starts walking away before she is stopped by a familiar voice.

"There you are!" she sees Chariot running towards her and picking her up from the floor. "I was so worried!"

"Professor Ursula?" the older woman asks her curiously. "Were you looking for this cat?"

"Yes, she's mine."

 _This is not good…_ Croix thinks while hiding her face.

"Yours?" Finneran asks confused. "I thought the cat belonged to Miss Kagari and that she was going to use it as a familiar."

"A familiar?" Chariot asks confused. "Akko hasn't told me about that."

"Miss Cavendish and Miss Kagari seemed pretty confident about it when I saw them outside the gates. They said they were coming back from town and had found the little cat injured."

"And what were you doing there?"

 _Oh no…_

"I was checking some traps that I set months ago. They activated and when I went to see them, Miss Cavendish and Miss Kagari were right there…" Finneran opens her eyes in shock. "With the cat…"

 _She knows!_

"You!" the older witch screams and uses her wand to try to pull her out of Chariot's arms.

"What are you doing?!" Chariot asks and lets Croix go so that she can run away from the mad witch.

"You will not escape!" Finneran keeps saying while chanting spells that she barely avoids. "You will pay!"

 _"Crazy woman!"_ Croix screams and uses her feline abilities to jump on top of the stairs.

"Stop moving you dumb woman!" she continues yelling. "Because of you I had to spend two months cleaning the yard!" the woman manages to hit her in the leg and Croix knows that this is over.

"Got you!" Finneran says and is stopped by Akko and Diana who put her to sleep.

 _"Oh thank Jennifer!"_ Croix says relieved after watching the girls check on the woman.

 _"Are you ok?!"_ Akko asks her worriedly.

 _"She just hit me in the leg…"_ Croix says and exhales in relief when Diana heals her. _"Did you find something?"_

 _"We were at the library checking for a way to break the curse but we found nothing."_ she says apologetically.

 _"We're very sorry."_ Akko chokes out and stands up. _"I know that this is our fault…"_ she whispers bitterly. _"But I refuse to give up."_

This makes Croix stare at the young girl in front of her.

 _"Because I believe in the magic of love and of soulmates."_ she vows confidently. _"And I know that what Ursula-Sensei and you share is true love."_

 _"But she doesn't even recognize me."_ Croix says sadly.

 _"We have done all we can…"_ Akko tells her before taking Diana's hand and pulling her away. _"Now it's up to you to believe in your love, Croix-Sensei."_

 _"I know you can do it!"_ Diana gives her a confident smile and both girls disappear before Croix hears faint steps heading her way.

"Croix! Croix!" Chariot screams and Croix yells in desperation.

In a couple of seconds, the woman is next to her and again screams when she sees Professor Finneran on the floor. "What happened?"

Croix starts meowing and sees Chariot use her wand to check on the crazy professor.

"She's just stunned." Chariot says relieved and smiles softly at her. "You are a very naughty cat." she smirks and holds her tight.

 _She just called me Croix, why did she do it?_

"You know, you remind me of a person I care about…" Chariot tells her softly while continuing her caresses. "Someone that is very close and dear to me." she sets her down and moves her hand through her body. "You even have the same hair color. Which I guess is why I decided to name you Croix."

This makes Croix meow and get closer to Chariot, using her tongue to lick her fingers because she could feel the sadness coming from her.

"She told me to wait for her." she confesses to cat Croix who stares at her with big eyes. "And I will… But I just want her back. At least for today…"

Cat Croix meows in desperation and feels like she wants to kill Akko for making her see this.

 _"I'm here!"_ she says and begs for the woman in front of her to understand her. _"I'm right here!"_

"But I guess she just couldn't make it." Chariot says sadly. "Now Croix, we need to return Professor Finneran to her room because it's almost midnight."

 _Midnight!_ She was running out of time!

Crying, she goes to where Chariot is standing and doesn't allow her to get to Professor Finneran.

"Croix, move out of the way!" she says but Croix doesn't budge. "Ugh, the name fits you so well! You're just like her!"

 _"I am her!"_ Croix meows and feels her legs in the air.

"Now move." Chariot is going to put her down but Croix uses her paw to caress her face.

This makes the red-haired woman stare at her with curiosity.

"Your eyes…" she whispers while focusing on Croix. "They look just like hers…"

 _"Chariot…"_ Croix says softly and hears the clock strike midnight.

It was over…

Softly, and knowing that it was probably going to be the last time she got to see Chariot, Croix wanted to confess her feelings to her at least once.

Carefully using her paws to grab the woman's face, she gets her head close to the woman she loves and stares right at into eyes…

"I love you with all my heart _."_ she says surely and with a smile on her face.

"I love you too Croix." Chariot answers her back and Croix is surprised when she feels the woman's lips on top of her head and a ray of light pouring out of her.

Very anticlimactically, and almost immediately, Croix opens her eyes and sees that she's no longer being carried by Chariot. Instead, the woman was hugging her tight.

"Chariot!" Croix screams relieved and cries in happiness when she realizes that she's no longer a cat and that the woman that she loves returns her feelings. "How did you know it was me?"

"When you said those words…" Chariot tells her warmly. "I just understood them so clearly that I had to say them back."

"I do love you so much." Croix says to her again and is close to kissing Chariot for real when she's stopped by a loud shriek.

"You!" Croix and Chariot both turn around to see an angry Professor Finneran looking at them. "I knew it was you!"

"Professor Finneran…" she tries to calm her down. "Shouldn't we let bygones be bygones?"

"No." Finneran answers her simply before moving closer. "You will leave Luna Nova this instant and never return!" she exclaims and is going to pull the lilac-haired woman out before she loses consciousness again.

"Thank you!" Croix exclaims to Akko and Diana who were putting their wands away and giving her a bright smile.

"You did it Croix-Sensei! You broke your curse!" Akko tells her happily.

"No thanks to you." she gets close to the brunette and grabs her cheeks. "In fact, I could have stayed like a cat forever because of you!"

"Stay like a cat forever?" Chariot asks her confused.

"Yes, it was a curse. I had to get my true love to kiss me before midnight or the curse was not going to break."

"Darling…" the red-haired woman gives her a bright smile. "That's a fairytale."

"But…" Croix says confused. "I tried to use my magic to turn myself back but it didn't work!"

"The potion we put on you prevented you from using your magic to turn back into a human…" Diana explains to her cheekily. "And, it is true that you needed to kiss the person you love in order to turn to your human form…"

"But even if you failed to get your kiss, the spell would have been broken with a night's sleep." Akko adds brightly.

"I have heard of that potion." Chariot tells them calmly. "It's becoming very popular amongst children and they use it to play a game similar to truth or dare."

"So you see, you were never truly in danger of staying like a cat forever." the brunette tells her cheekily. "Although we didn't take Professor Finneran into consideration when we were planning all of this."

"Yeah, she is truly mad at you." Diana adds with a smirk.

"So you made me think that I was going to stay like a cat forever…" Croix says to the girls menacingly. "Because?"

"Because we wanted you to confess your true feelings to Ursula-Sensei!" Akko tells her happily.

"I was going to do that!" she exclaims loudly. "I even told you about it before you turned me into a cat."

"Diana also wanted to try the potion on someone and I remembered that you owed me from last time."

This makes Chariot laugh loudly.

"She's right about that. You owed her."

"You mean you're going to defend her?!" Croix asks shocked. "She tricked us and probably traumatized me!"

"But she also got you to tell me how you feel and for me while throwing me the best and most interesting birthday party I could ever think of." Chariot tells her with a happy smile on her face. "Because being with you, in any kind of way, is enough to me."

"Chariot…" Croix whispers and closes the distance between them with a tender kiss.

"See…" Diana tells them with a happy smile on her face. "I told you that Akko's plans, against all odds, tend to work."

Croix was definitely going to return the favor to the two witches soon enough…

 _This is not over…_


	6. Jealous

After dating Akko for a couple of weeks, Diana sees Andrew confessing to her girl...  
Or, the One-Shot where Diana fights for the girl she loves...  
Literally...  
Takes place after chapter 1 and before chapter 5.

I got this prompt just when I happened to be writing it hahah! Jealous Diana is just too cute.

* * *

 _She was not jealous,_ Diana kept saying to herself while watching Akko and Andrew talking with each other.

The blonde witch had not been oblivious to the fact that the older man was spending more time at Luna Nova. And, while she may have welcomed his newfound support for witches, she didn't like the fact that he seemed to spend most of his time with _her_ Akko.

Yes, _her_ Akko because the two of them had started dating a couple of weeks ago.

Diana had been elated at the opportunity of being with Akko, and although they did spend most of their free time together during their first week as a couple, with exams around the corner they had barely seen each other. Also, there was the fact that Diana had been pretty secretive about their new relationship by not holding hands in public or acting like a couple. In fact, she couldn't even blame Andrew that much for wanting to be with her girlfriend (?) because no one knew that they were dating.

The reason they kept their relationship a secret was not because she was embarrassed of Akko. Diana knew very well that was impossible since she loved the brunette witch tremendously. The problem was her insecurities; her fear and lack of experience when it came to showing her affection to others. She had been raised in a way that made many stay away from her and Diana had grown too accustomed to that. And perhaps that was what was so refreshing about Akko and the way she acted with her; the way she hugged her tightly, how she kissed her cheeks and held her hands, the way her lips felt on top of hers…

In retrospective, it wasn't hard to see how Akko had managed to capture her heart.

So why was it that she couldn't do the same with Akko?

She knew that the brunette witch was very perceptive and understood her the best, which was why Akko never pressured her or behaved differently after confessing their feelings to each other. And although Diana loved the Japanese girl for that, it was the main reason why no one knew that they were dating. In fact, their friends had believed that the date between each other went well and that was it. And Akko, her understanding Akko, had not told them otherwise.

 _Because she's waiting until I'm ready to say it…_ Diana thinks with a bright smile and then feels even more foolish for hiding behind the bushes.

She was spying on Akko and Andrew's encounter and she felt terrible about it.

 _I'm not spying on Akko,_ she tries to convince herself, _because I trust her._

 _The one I don't trust is Andrew,_ Diana growls and tenses when the young man laughs loudly at something Akko said to him.

 _I don't like the way he's looking at you…_ the blonde witch thinks while seeing Andrew laughing and staring warmly at her girlfriend.

 _Am I crazy, have I lost it?_ she murmurs and grabs her own hands tightly when he gets closer to Akko.

 _Even though I know you love me, can't help it_ … Diana gulps and feels her heart shattering when Andrew holds her girlfriend's hand and starts speaking warmly to her with a soft blush on his face.

 _He is confessing to Akko…_

 _He is confessing to the girl I love…_

Taking her wand out and getting ready to jinx the man for talking to Akko, Diana relaxes and let's go of her weapon when she sees Akko take her hand off his and speak apologetically to him before leaving.

Relieved, Diana doesn't move from her position until she makes sure that Akko is far away from Andrew. Ready to follow her girlfriend and talk to her, she stops when she sees the brown-haired man running to the front of the building and earning the attention of the other witches in it.

"I won't give up Akko!" Andrew screams and Diana feels ready to kick him. "A believing heart is your magic and I know that if I believe then I can win your heart!" he exclaims and all the girls surrounding Akko squeal in excitement.

 _That's just very cheap…_ Diana thinks, _but clever as well_ , she has to admit.

"So romantic!" she hears some girls say.

"Although I can't believe that it's all for Akko…" another adds enviously.

"Come on Akko! Go on a date with him!" the girls that are surrounding Akko say and the brunette merely smiles apologetically before walking away.

Quickly planning on following her, Diana gets out from her hiding spot and starts running towards Akko. But, before she can get inside the building, she notices Andrew staring knowingly at her from his car while waving with a smirk on his face.

 _So he knew I was hiding there…_

Not wanting to even talk to him, Diana merely ignores him and goes inside, doing her best to catch up to Akko. She knew the brunette's schedule, and based on the time, Akko should be done with classes and heading towards her room.

Using her advantage of knowing the school from the inside-out, Diana takes a shortcut and manages to arrive to Akko's room before she does. In fact, she sees the brunette witch absently walking towards her, her face scrunched up and confused.

"Akko…" Diana says warmly.

"Diana!" Akko's bright smile momentarily makes the blonde girl forget why she was here. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you." she whispers softly.

"Me too!" she runs towards Diana and hugs her tightly before letting go. "But you said that you were going to be busy with exams and I know how much you worry about your study time and I didn't want to be a distraction."

"Is that why you haven't come to see me?" Diana asks sadly because she didn't want Akko to think that she was an inconvenience.

Akko simply nods and Diana quickly opens the door to the brunette's room. After making sure that no one was there, she pushes Akko inside and closes the door before walking towards her.

"Diana?" Akko asks confused. "What are you doing?"

"Is it not obvious?" Diana says with a soft smile on her face. "I'm kissing you." she states and as soon as she does she goes ahead and kisses Akko desperately on the lips.

 _By Jennifer, how much she had missed Akko's kisses..._ Diana thinks while moaning and exploring Akko's body with her hands.

"Diana…" the brunette whispers surprised but accepts her kisses and touches by matching her movements with the same desperation she felt.

"I have missed you so much." Diana tells Akko while separating from her lips and peppering kisses on her neck tenderly. "You are no inconvenience, Akko." she promises the brunette confidently. "You are the sun of my days and the moon of my nights."

This makes Akko smile warmly at her before grabbing her face and returning the kiss Diana had given to her with as much passion as she could.

Diana, of course, accepted it happily and spent the last couple of minutes making out with the girl of her dreams.

"Not that I'm complaining…" Akko says to her after a while. "But what brought this up?" she points at their lips cheekily. "Usually I'm the one that initiates our kisses."

This makes Diana separate from Akko and take a deep breath.

"I saw you talking with Andrew." she simply says while looking at Akko. "And I saw him confess his feelings to you."

"You saw me?" the brunette asks surprised. "If you did, then you must have seen that I rejected him."

"I did." Diana whispers conflicted.

"Then what has you so worried? You know I don't have feelings for him. That the person I lo… I like is you, Diana." Akko asks her honestly.

"I trust you and your feelings… It's not your fault that they hover. I mean no disrespect." Diana immediately tells her. "I just don't like the fact that he thinks he can keep flirting with you. That he doesn't know that you're no longer available."

This makes Akko open her eyes in shock and then smile wickedly after understanding what was happening.

"Are you telling me that Diana Cavendish is jealous?" she asks with a smirk on her face.

This makes Diana blush and look down in embarrassment.

"It's my right to be hellish." she replies childishly but firmly. "Even I can get jealous."

Akko gives her a warm smile and holds her hands tenderly before kissing her lovingly on the lips.

This kiss, unlike their earlier ones, was not out of jealousy or desperation.

This one was a declaration; a statement of what Akko felt for her and their bond.

"No one…" the brunette tells her confidently. "Can even compare to you, Diana. No one, can come close to what I feel for you." she promises her and this makes Diana lose her composure and run towards her to be held.

"You must think of me as such a hypocrite…" Diana cries while holding Akko desperately. "Here I am getting jealous when it's my fault that no one knows that we're together."

This makes Akko move her a little so that they can see each other.

"Of course not, Diana. I know that you're not doing this out of being embarrassed or ashamed of me. That it is because of something deeper and more complex." she smiles understandingly. "And although there are times I wish we could hold hands while walking through the hallways or kiss each other without having to hide, what I want most is for you to be happy Diana."

"Akko…" Diana chokes out and again hugs Akko while sobbing.

"So if that means I will have to wait a little longer…" she tells her surely. "Then I will wait until you feel confident enough to kiss me and hold me in public."

"I will…" Diana promises her vehemently. "Please trust me when I tell you I will…" she continues crying in Akko's arms until she runs out of tears.

"I know. I believe in you" Akko says to her with a bright smile and a kiss. "Now, although I wish we could stay here longer, Lotte and Sucy will arrive soon. And, you know they won't stop asking questions if they see you're here."

"But Akko…" Diana says brokenly.

She didn't want to force Akko to lie or hide things to her best friends.

"Only when you're ready Diana." Akko reiterates to her. "Now go." she kisses her one more time and Diana clings to her before walking away from her girl and making her way back to her room.

 _Akko is too good for me…_ Diana can only think bitterly.

 _I love her so much…_

"The nerve of her!" Diana hears the envious girl from earlier say out-loud. "Thinking she's la crème de la crème just because of the missile incident."

"Perhaps she rejected him because there's someone else she likes." one of the other girls says softly.

"No, I know girls like Akko. They pretend to be dumb and friendly until they get an opportunity. After that, they start acting all mighty and soon enough they're even capable of stabbing you in the back."

"Samantha, that's not very nice." her friend scolds her.

"I'm just saying it like it is." Samantha smirks. "Akko is taking advantage of her newfound popularity and is trying to make Andrew basically beg her to marry him." she scoffs bitterly. "As if that annoying pest deserved more things than the ones she already got."

 _They're all saying those things about Akko because of me._

 _Because she had to reject Andrew without telling him why since doing so would make him find out that she's dating me…_

 _And instead of breaking my trust, she is letting those girls think the worst of her and say terrible things about her._

 _You stupid, loving and perfect woman…_

 _I will not let you down._

"Hmm, I wonder what Akko has that makes all the important people love her." the other girl says honestly. "First, she gets Diana Cavendish to be her friend. Next, she is being taught magic by Chariot Du Nord."

"Add to that the fact that she is very close to Croix-Sensei who, like Chariot, was a Lunar Witch." Samantha continues rambling. "And now she has Andrew Hanbridge confessing his feelings to her. They must all feel very sorry for her."

 _That bitch is going to pay,_ Diana thinks darkly.

Diana was not going to let that go.

She was not going to let Andrew get her girl.

She was not going to let those witches laugh and mock Akko anymore.

She was going to show Akko how much she loved her.

Diana had decided.

She was going to confess to Akko her true feelings and tell the whole school that the brunette witch was hers.

Now she needed help to do it.

LWALWALWA

"Andrew confessed to Akko…" Diana says softly while accepting the tea being given to her.

"He did?" Ursula asks surprised from her seat. "I didn't think he had those feelings for her."

After confessing to Professor Ursula what she felt about her, Diana had worked on getting to know the red-haired woman better. She could see how much the professor meant to Akko and how much Akko meant to her. So, as the brunette's partner, Diana had determined that it was necessary for her to have a bond with the former performer.

What she didn't expect was that she would come to love Ursula just as much as Akko did.

Their connection was immediate, and the visits that had been first planned as obligations soon turned to impromptu tea sessions where the two witches talked about themselves and their past. Diana, slowly, had learned to trust her with it.

"I knew they were close." the blonde witch whispers. "And that Akko was helping Andrew with magic because he was just appointed as Non-Magical Representative of Luna Nova."

"I did hear about that. Akko asked me to meet with them once so I could explain some things to the young man. He was very polite and attentive."

"He can be very charming." she chuckles bitterly.

"I'm sure Akko thinks of him as nothing more than friends."

"Oh, she rejected him earlier." Diana tells her softly. "I'm not worried about Akko's feelings. I know she loves me."

"Then what are you worried about?" Ursula asks her curiously.

"That she doesn't know that I love her too."

"Diana…" the older woman tells her with a warm smile.

"Akko is rejecting Andrew but she's not telling him why because she knows that I haven't been ready to let others know that we're dating." she whispers dejectedly. "But that's not the only part that is hurting me. You know how some girls are with Akko and how they can't seem to accept her."

Ursula nods in confirmation.

"Now they're using this as a way to further mock Akko and speak horrible things about her." Diana chokes out. "And it's all because of me. I haven't been ready to let people know that Akko and I are dating."

This makes Ursula stare at firmly at her.

"Not because I'm ashamed of Akko!" she explains immediately. "It's just that I'm not used to letting others see me like that. I'm not used to others knowing that they can affect me by hurting the people I love." she chuckles mirthlessly. "Which is what I have been unconsciously doing to Akko by not admitting to everyone what I feel for her. She has been hurting because of me."

"I see…" the red-haired woman relaxes and gives her an understanding smile.

She could clearly see that the two young women were crazy about each other and that they were willing to go through everything in order to make the other happy.

She couldn't have asked for a better partner for Akko.

"Which is why I wanted to do something for Akko. I want to show her that she's special and that she deserves everything in the world. That she's more than worthy of my love." Diana admits while blushing. "Besides, I want people like Andrew to stop trying to steal her from me…" she murmurs.

This makes Ursula laugh softly.

Who would have thought that she would see Diana Cavendish be jealous?

"So that's why!" Diana says determined while standing up. "I realized that I need an extravagant, romantic and unforgettable love confession." she nods in confirmation. "Yes, one that makes all the witches at Luna Nova realize Akko's worth and puts Andrew's earlier display to shame."

This makes Ursula laugh loudly.

"You know…" she says to her devilishly. "Although I was a performer and did extravagant magic shows, I was not the mastermind behind them." she takes out a cellphone from her pocket. "But, I do know the person who was."

LWALWALWA

"Did you hear?!" a group of witches say brightly. "Diana Cavendish is going to perform a magic show for all of us after class!"

 _Diana was going to perform?_ Akko thinks surprised while looking at Lotte and Sucy curiously.

"I talked to Barbara earlier and she didn't tell me anything about this." the pixie-haired girl says to them.

"This is very unlike Diana." Sucy says bored. "Perhaps she was poisoned or it's someone else who is pretending to be her." she stares at Akko. "Shouldn't you know what your future girlfriend is up to?"

This makes Akko blush brightly.

"She's not my future girlfriend." she murmurs.

 _Because she already is (?)_

"Besides, you both know how she gets when we have exams so I have barely seen her." Akko says sadly because she missed the blonde tremendously.

"Well, then we should go see what all these people are talking about and check if it's really Diana or not." Sucy suggest to them with a wicked smile directed to Akko. "And that way you'll get to stop looking so depressed."

"Sucy!" Akko groans but starts heading towards the main garden.

"Maybe that way we'll also get to hear people talk about something else than you rejecting Luna Nova's golden boy."

"I swear people have nothing to do other than talk…"

"I mean, you did reject Andrew Hanbridge, Akko." Lotte reminds her. "While we know that you did it because you like Diana, you didn't tell him that and he probably thinks that you're nervous about being with him because of his family."

"I couldn't…" she whispers sadly.

"There's nothing wrong about liking her Akko." Sucy is the one that tells her this.

"I know that…" Akko closes her eyes. "I just, I couldn't do it and I had my reasons for it."

"Even if that has made the rest of witches think that you're playing hard to get and have become complete assholes?" Lotte asks bitterly and the two young girls are surprised by her language.

"They can say what they want." the brunette tells them calmly. "As long as my true friends and the people I care about don't believe them, then I'm ok."

"You're too kind for your own good." Sucy says this to her with a soft smile. "Well, the stage is there." she points to the same scenario that was used for the Samhain Festival.

"So it seems like it will happen." Lotte adds surprised and starts making space for the green team to sit with them.

"Akko!" Amanda gives her a knowing smile while sitting next to her. "Here to support your girlfriend?"

Akko blushes and hits her in the arm softly.

"Well, of course I came to support Diana! Cause that is what friends do! Support each other." She starts rambling.

"Yeah, yeah…" the red-haired girl chuckles and stops talking when the lights of the scenario turn off.

"It's going to start!" some witches start murmuring and Akko is honestly just as excited as they are about watching Diana's show.

"Is this seat occupied?" the brunette witch hears a familiar voice ask and sees Andrew smiling at her.

"No." she tells him softly and the man moves to sit next to he, Sucy having moved to give him space.

 _I'm going to kill her…_ Akko thinks before focusing on the stage and opening her eyes in shock when she sees Diana appear in it.

So it was true that Diana was going to perform…

 _But that dress…_ Akko cannot tear her eyes away from Diana.

"Good evening." the blonde witch says and Akko notices the girl's eyes moving through the audience, only stopping when they find hers.

When their eyes meet, Akko gives her a dashing smile that is quickly returned before it transforms into a scowl.

Confused, it takes the brunette a couple of seconds to realize that Diana's eyes were now set on Andrew, who noticed this and placed his arm around her with a cheeky smile.

"What are you doing?!" she whispers to him angrily.

"Trust me…" he tells her calmly with a bright smile on his face.

Confused, Akko sees that Diana was not taking her eyes away from them and was making fists with her hands.

She knew that this meant that the blonde was mad.

"Although it was said that I was going to perform magic tonight, I'm afraid that there has been a change of plans." Diana says confidently and all the witches surrounding the stage started whispering. "But don't fret…" she continues her speech. "Because although there is no magic performance, that doesn't mean that you will not see a show…"

 _Huh…_ Akko is confused and so is the rest of the people watching.

"Because I!" the blonde makes a fencing sword appear with her wand. "Diana Cavendish of the Cavendish Family, challenge you, Andrew Hanbridge, to a duel!"

"Whaaaat!"

 ** _A couple of minutes earlier backstage…_**

"I hope Akko comes…" Diana whispers while remembering all the spells Ursula had taught her.

 _"Of course she'll come!"_ Croix says to her from Ursula's cellphone. _"That girl is crazy about you. So the fact that it is you the one doing a magic show is going to sweep her off her feet!"_

"That does sound plausible…" the red-haired professor murmurs hesitantly.

 _"Because it is!"_ the former professor says cheekily. _"Besides, you two were the ones that called and asked me for help."_

"Indeed." the young girl agrees. "And the show has entertaining spells."

 _"And it has that special beast I prepared!"_ Croix says excitedly. _"It will be so similar to the show Chariot did in Japan that Akko will realize that you're doing all of this because of her! Once you're done, you'll ask her to join you on stage…"_

"And I will make with my magic a four-star shaped pendant." Diana finishes confidently because the plan made sense.

"I think I saw Akko arrive." Ursula informs Diana who nods in understanding and quickly walks to the main stage.

 _"Now get closer so I can see what's happening!"_

"She's just introducing herself." the former performer tells her softly. "Akko is close enough that Diana can see her."

 _"Perfect, then that means the second part of my plan can begin."_ Croix says while chuckling.

"What do you mean, what second part?" Ursula asks confused while searching for Akko and seeing that Andrew was sitting next to her. "What is he even doing here?!" she whispers to the woman on the phone.

 _"I invited him."_ she merely says while getting closer to the screen. _"Nice to see that he is on time."_

"Why would you even do that?! And how did you even get his number?"

 _"Chariot, I am a witch/hacker who created a technological demon that almost destroyed the world. Getting a phone number was not difficult at all."_

"…I'm afraid there has been a change of plans…" they both hear Diana say tersely.

"What change of plans?!" Ursula is lost. "This is a disaster. She must have seen Akko with Andrew and will cancel the performance."

 _"If I predicted Diana's behavior correctly, then that means she will not cancel the show."_ Croix smiles devilishly at her. _"Look at the way she's grabbing her hands while watching them. She's beyond jealous and she will not let this go."_

"Diana is not a person that engages in silly fig…"

"Because I! Diana Cavendish of the Cavendish family, challenge you, Andrew Hanbridge, to a duel!"

 _"Told you so…"_ the lilac-haired woman exclaims gleefully while getting some ramen out from the microwave. _"Diana is going to get her girl."_

"Even if she wants to fight, I am sure the Hanbridge boy is beyond…"

"And I accept!" he exclaims confidently while standing up and kissing Akko's palm before walking to the stage.

 _"I knew it!"_ Croix shrieks happily. _"The kiss on the palm was a nice touch!"_

"I don't know if I'm surprised at your abilities to predict people's behaviors or terrified of how you have manipulated all of them into doing this…" Ursula whispers conflicted.

 _"Just enjoy the show Chariot because things will certainly get interesting…"_

 ** _Back to Center Stage…_**

 _I will kill him…_ Diana thinks after watching Andrew kiss Akko's hand.

She was the only one allowed to kiss her!

"Tell me Diana…" Andrew says to her after making his way to the stage. "Why are you asking me to fight you?"

"I want you to stay away from Akko…" she tells him angrily.

"But why?" he asks confused. "She's single, and, I like to be around her. Is there something that prevents me, apart from herself, from trying to date her?"

"Yes, there is!" Diana gets closer to him and watches him smirk at her. "Akko is dating someone."

 _He was enjoying this…_

"Is she?" he continues to pretend ignorance. "Because I haven't seen her with anyone. In fact, whenever I come visit her she's all alone. Shouldn't the person dating her wish to spend all the time together?"

This makes Diana stare at Akko who is watching the scene with sad eyes. Although Akko had not complained or said anything to her, the brunette had been upset about the fact that they were not seeing each other very much.

And she was finding this out from Andrew.

She was useless as a girlfriend…

But Diana was going to change.

She was going to show everyone what she felt!

"Besides, why are you the one fighting me? I know you're friends." he smiles knowingly. "But shouldn't it be her special someone the one that tries to stop me from flirting with her?"

Taking a deep breath, and knowing that this was it, Diana makes another sword appear in her hand and gives it to Andrew.

"Her special someone is the one that is going to stop you." the blonde witch says confidently and prepares herself to fight.

This makes the whole room scream and whisper in surprise.

 _Did Diana just say that she likes Akko?_

Running towards Andrew, Diana gives him a warning before starting to wield her sword. Moving gracefully in the stage, she notices he's matching her movements and hits. Pleasantly surprised, the heiress tries to see how he will react to a fake move. Using her sword to hit him in the legs, she nods in respect when he jumps upwards and hits her in the back.

"Diana!" she hears a familiar scream and sees Akko standing in the front of stage, her eyes worriedly looking her over.

"I'm alright!" Diana gives her girlfriend a bright smile. "And I will beat him! For you!" she promises and smirks when the brunette witch blushes before turning to look at her opponent. "Sorry to keep you waiting." she apologizes to Andrew.

"You're good!" the brown-haired man tells her with a happy smile on his face.

"You too." Diana answers him and both realize that they're enjoying their impromptu fight.

But, while Andrew was good at fencing, Diana was even better.

And, she needed to beat him so she could make a statement.

Hence, Diana made her last move and with a trick she learned from her teacher, the blonde heiress managed to grab Andrew's sword and incapacitate him from fighting back.

"I won…" she says exhausted and makes both swords disappear.

"It seems you did." Andrew concedes. "And, as the winner of the duel, your terms apply. I will no longer flirt with Akko."

"I appreciate that." Diana tells him softly and helps him stand up.

"Diana!" she hears a familiar voice tell her and smiles dashingly at the brunette who was running towards her. "You're alright." the girl says relieved.

"Shouldn't you worry about me? I was the one that lost." Andrew teases them.

"You provoked her." Akko scolds him with a smile. "Besides, not my fault that Diana happens to be a badass at sword-fighting." she gives the blonde all her attention. "You were incredible!"

"Thank you." Diana murmurs while blushing and grabbing Akko's hands tenderly. "I wanted to tell you…"

"Wait, I don't get what's happening!" Samantha, the girl that had been mocking Akko earlier interrupts them and Diana is ready to hit her for real. "This was all a play, right? You just did this as a show. Because, it couldn't be that Diana Cavendish likes Akko Kagari, right?"

"You're right." the blonde witch starts saying and feels Akko's hands trembling.

She squeezes them tightly so that the brunette doesn't let go.

"You're right." she repeats. "I don't like Akko Kagari. I love her." she corrects the girl and hears the whole room squeal in surprise and focuses on Akko who has tears in her eyes. "Meeting you, getting to know you, it has been the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Diana…" Akko whispers happily.

"And I was afraid of saying this to you because in the past I have lost the people I love most." she admits and knows Akko understands she's talking about her parents. "I was afraid of the fact that admitting what I feel would mean that I would lose you too…"

Akko smiles warmly at her and hugs her tight, making sure of showing her with her actions how much this meant to her.

"Diana…." the brunette witch tells her confidently. "You know I'm stubborn. And you know that I tend to do what I want if I believe it's right." she relaxes a bit. "And what I want most of all…" she looks down in embarrassment. "Is to be with you Diana, because I love you too."

"Akko…"

"So now that you've confessed to me, don't you dare think that I will make things easy for you by leaving your side!" she jokes and makes Diana chuckle warmly.

"I wouldn't expect anything else from you." she slowly gets close to Akko and is ready to kiss her on the lips…

"I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS!" Samantha screams and Diana is going to hit her but is beaten by a smirking Ursula.

 _"Nice Chariot!"_ she hears Croix yell excitedly from the phone.

"Ursula-Sensei!" Akko says surprised at watching her mentor. "Croix-Sensei!" she recognizes the cellphone Ursula was carrying. "What are you doing here?"

 _"Making sure that Diana gets the girl."_ Croix informs her confidently. _"And, thanks to my plan, it seems like she did."_ she gives a thumbs-up to Andrew who merely lowers his head in acknowledgement.

"Your plan?" the brunette witch continues asking confused. "You mean to say this was all…" she can't finish her sentence because she's being kissed by Diana.

Forgetting what she was even talking about, Akko gives up and decides to focus on her girlfriend and on the fact that she was being kissed by the most beautiful girl in front of the whole school!

Separating after a couple of seconds go by, Akko can't help but hug Diana tightly.

"Thank you!" she whispers to her vulnerably.

"I love you." Diana knows what her girlfriend meant.

 _Thank you for being brave…_


	7. Back To The Future

Croix asks Akko to come meet her because she wants her to help her test her new invention.

Or, the one shot where Akko realizes that not all of Croix's inventions are reliable.

Takes place after chapter 1 and 6 but before chapter 5.

So, many of you were curious about what Croix did to Akko that would make the younger witch want to turn her into a cat?

Here it is...

"Yes, this is perfect…" a lilac-haired woman kept muttering to herself while placing small metal pieces on her artifact. "I knew that my calculations were correct!"

Closing the device and placing it on the window, the scientist quickly uses her wand to turn it on, screaming and jumping in relief when her invention does exactly what she wants it to do.

"It's finished!" she screams happily while doing a victory dance around the room and the many leftover pieces that were laying on the floor. "It's finally finished!" she continues saying while laughing maniacally.

Now it was time to test it…

LWALWALWA

"Croix-Sensei?" Akko asks softly while entering her professor's room. "I'm here!" she yells after the older woman fails to come meet her.

 _What the hell is this room?_ Akko thinks and manages to avoid stepping on metal and robot parts that were laying on the floor.

Moving around, she can also see boxes and boxes of ramen left in the trash. Truly worried about her professor, she takes out her wand and uses a spell to cast some light on the room.

"Croix-Sensei?" she asks again and moves towards the bedroom. "Sensei?" she knocks before entering and exhales in relief when she notices familiar lilac-hair coming from the bed.

 _She's not up?!_ Akko huffs and taking charge, jumps on top of the bed and the woman laying soundly on it.

"I have done nothing!" Croix screams while getting up and immediately hearing her favorite brunette's laugh. "AKKO!" she scolds the younger girl. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"You knew I was coming." Akko tells her simply while getting off the bed. "And you were the one that called me yesterday asking me to meet."

"I did?" the lilac-haired woman asks confused but then remembers what she did last night. "I did!" she exclaims happily. "I called because I need your help in testing my newest invention."

"Invention?"

"Yes!" Croix exclaims proudly while showing her a small watch.

"A watch?" Akko asks confused. "I think those were invented a long time ago." the brunette tells her sarcastically.

"Cheeky." the older witch playfully hits her on the shoulder. "Although that may be, this is the first time someone has invented a watch than can be used to travel through time."

"Time travel?" now Akko is interested. "Like what you see in the movies?"

"Yes!" Croix says excitedly. "I managed to create a watch that can take you anywhere in history."

"That sounds incredible." the younger witch admits carefully. "But also dangerous." she then gives Croix a warning look. "Does the Ministry know you're doing this?!"

"Of course!" the woman says hurt. "They were the ones that gave me the material and the resources for the research. Although they don't know that I succeeded…"

"Croix-Sensei!" Akko scolds her.

"I just finished it last night!" she justifies herself. "Besides, I need to try it first before I officially tell them that it's done."

This makes Akko relax.

"Then why am I here?" she asks curiously.

"Because I wanted to see you." Croix admits embarrassed and it makes the younger witch smile warmly. "And so that you can come with me and see how it works."

"I missed you… Wait, go with you?" Akko shrieks. "Go where?"

"TO THE FUTURE!"

"And spoil my future to myself?! Hell no." Akko says immediately.

"But…" Croix says with puppy eyes. "You're the only one I trust."

"No, you're manipulating me." the brunette says simply. "Because you know Ursula-Sensei would never go along with this. In fact, does she know you're making this?"

This makes Croix look away from her.

"Don't you want to see what your future life with Diana will look like?" she tempts the girl who for the first time seems a little torn.

"Seeing that Diana and I are together in the future does sound nice…" Akko admits softly. "But wouldn't our presence change or affect anything here?"

"No, because it will be the future. If we manage to change something, it won't affect the past because it already happened."

"Mmm, that makes sense…" the younger witch says to herself. "Ok, I will go with you."

"Yes!" Croix says excitedly while putting some clothes on and grabbing some tablets from the bed-table.

"You need all of that?" Akko asks worriedly.

"Relax, it's so that I can record and write everything concerning the experiment. I need to show evidence to the Ministry that the device is functional and reliable."

"And is it reliable?"

"As reliable as I am." Croix says cheekily.

"That is what worries me." Akko closes her eyes but still grabs Croix's hand when the older woman offers it to her.

"Ok, so the date I chose is ten years from now." she informs the younger witch. "But, we do have to go to an open field." the woman explains while using her magic to transport them outside the building.

"Why outside?" the brunette asks curiously.

"This building may not be the same in the future." she simply explains. "So, it's better to be in an open space that we know will still be there. Now, are you ready to start our adventure?"

Akko takes a deep breath and nods in confirmation because, although she teased Croix-Sensei a lot, she knew the woman would never put her in harm's way.

"Watch ready!" Croix informs Akko. "Magic ready!" she continues saying excitedly while magic started concentrating on her wand. "Now, descorto tempo!" she screams and the two witches disappear in a ray of green light.

LWALWALWA

Opening her eyes, Akko notices that they're standing in the same place where Croix-Sensei started the spell. Confused, she takes a quick look around and sees that nothing has changed. In fact, it looked exactly the same. The building where Croix-Sensei was currently living was still behind them and the town looked very similar.

 _Has nothing truly changed in ten years?_ Akko thinks worriedly.

 _How boring…_

"It looks the same as it did before." Croix says disappointed while taking her tablet out and writing on it. "The future, from first glance, does not have extreme changes or advances. In fact, it's quite disappointing to see that neither technology nor magic have made drastic advances."

"Yeah, weren't things supposed to get better by breaking the seal of the Grand Triskellion? Shouldn't there be more people in town wanting to learn magic? I mean, on my way to your house I noticed a bigger quantity of visitors. And here, it seems like it has decreased. How could that be?!" Akko asks desperately.

 _What they did, had it all been for nothing?_

"You're right about that." the lilac-haired woman agrees with her tersely. "I don't like this…" she takes her watch out and opens her eyes in shock. "Oh no…" she whispers.

 _Oh no…_

"Did you just say 'oh no'?" Akko asks her carefully. "After taking your watch out?"

"Perhaps?"

"What do you mean perhaps?!" the brunette screams and earns the attention of some of the people surrounding them. "What happened?!" she whispers angrily.

"Well, we are no longer in the present…" Croix starts by telling her the positive. "So that part of my invention worked."

"And what part didn't work?"

"The part that had to take us to the future."

"So, if we did travel in time, and we're not in the future…" Akko says worriedly. "We're in the past?! The place where we were supposed to not go to?!"

Croix closes her eyes and nods in resignation.

"How?!" the brunette witch starts having a panic attack. "And when exactly are we?"

"It seems that the circuits I used to set the dates exploded because of the strength of the magic…" the lilac-haired woman explains carefully to her. "And about the time…" she chuckles knowingly. "It seems that we're just a couple of days after Diana came back from the Cavendish Manor."

"Wait, so you mean to tell me that we traveled to a time before the seal was broken and that no one, apart from us, knows that this will happen?" Akko asks worriedly.

"Yes." Croix explains to her. "But that is of no concern to us since things will continue to move forward even with our presence here. The seal of the Grand Triskellion will be broken soon enough."

This relaxes Akko a little.

"But, do we have to wait until that happens? Does this mean that we're stuck here?" she freaks out again and feels that she's going to faint.

"Of course not!" Croix promises her immediately. "I know I can fix this." she says confidently. "Although we need to go get the parts I need to do so."

"And where are the parts?" she asks the older woman thinking that she already knows the answer.

"In my lab at Luna Nova." the woman shrugs her shoulders and Akko knows that this means trouble.

 _I will kill her…_

"The lab where you happen to be most of the time and where you have hidden that dark Shiny Rod?" Akko looks knowingly at her.

"I did go out to teach!" Croix says insulted. "I wasn't a NEET! Besides, no one will suspect of me going inside my own lab. Or did you happen to forget that I look the same as my past self."

Ok, that did help.

"Ok, so that means we have to make sure of not talking and seeing anyone from this time. I know of a path to school…" Akko starts saying to Croix but is interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Akko?!" both witches from the future turn around to see a worried and angry Ursula making her way towards them.

 _Shit…_ both think at the same time.

"Akko…" Ursula tells her carefully. "What are you doing here?"

This makes Akko look panickily at Croix who decides to intervene.

"Ch… Ursula-Sensei…" she corrects herself because she had not told this time's Akko the truth about Chariot yet. "I was just talking with Akko about some questions she had in regards to my class."

"In town?" the now blue-haired woman asks her warily.

 _Damn it,_ Croix thinks bitterly, _in this time Chariot doesn't trust me._

 _Not that I blame her…_

"I was on my way back to school and I had offered Akko to walk with her."

"That's alright." Ursula immediately says to them. "I can go with her since there's something I want to talk to her about."

"Sure thing." Croix merely raises her hands before giving Akko a knowing look. "I'll be seeing you around Akko."

 _I will go straight to my lab…_

"Yes Croix-Sensei." Akko watches Croix get close to her and grab her hands tightly.

This makes Ursula-Sensei flinch.

"I want to thank you for your assistance today." she simply tells her and Akko feels a small cellphone on her hands.

Quickly putting it away without Ursula-Sensei noticing it, she merely nods and watches her professor go.

"Akko…." Ursula-Sensei tells her hesitantly. "Did Professor Croix say something strange to you?"

"Nothing, she just wanted to talk to me about my notes in her class. After that, I offered to help her with carrying some materials she bought for her inventions." Akko tries to say normally.

"I thought you were going to stay at school and practice on your spells, perhaps try to find the missing word?"

"Oh, I was." the brunette says worriedly. "I mean I am." she corrects herself. "But I haven't found anything so I thought that taking a walk and seeing town would help me clear my head."

"I see." Ursula smiles warmly at her and this smile Akko recognizes.

"How come you're in town Sensei?"

"I guess I came to just take a walk as well." the older witch tells her warmly.

"So… since both of us just happened to be here to take a walk, how about we go get some tea?" Akko proposes to her mentor who chuckles warmly at her and nods in agreement.

Maybe this would give Croix the time she needed to get the parts from her lab.

LWALWALWA

 _What was I doing today?_ Croix murmurs to herself while going through Luna Nova's front gates.

Seriously, her memory was terrible and right now was the moment she needed it the most. Closing her eyes in resignation, she had to think of a way to make sure that her past self was not in the lab right now. But, since it seemed that it was a weekend, it was very likely that she was going to be there working on her mechanical monster.

 _Then that means I will have to create a distraction for myself!_

 _But what will be interesting enough to distract me and yet not make me suspect that something else is going on?_

Concentrating on past events and situations, Croix is troubled and disappointed to realize that during that time all she was worried about was the Noir Rod and showing Chariot and the rest of witches that she could be the chosen one.

 _I had no life…_

And hence, without any other choice than to use her own magic and somehow infiltrate her lab, Croix went straight for it. She knew that her defenses were good and that her past self would quickly believe that it was Chariot the one trying to pass. So, after making sure that all the cameras were turned off, Croix quickly ran inside the room and used enough magic to awaken the magical creatures protecting the stairs.

After leaving a drone that would make the beasts believe that they were fighting a person, Croix relaxed and eliminated all traces of her magic before going through a secret door. She had made it in case she needed to escape or someone happened to find her inventions before they were ready. It was a little ironic that she was now using it to infiltrate her own lab.

Exhaling in relief after the long climb up the stairs, Croix takes out her wand and pours magic into it so that the door opens. Lucky for her, the lab didn't look much different to her current one and she immediately went to where the parts for her watch would probably be at.

Muttering and cursing herself for her own disorder, Croix shrieks happily when she finds what she needs. Taking enough in case something were to happen again, the lilac-haired woman closes and leaves everything in place before planning to exit this horrible building.

"It seems…" Croix flinches when she hears a very familiar voice. "That we have a thief." her past self exclaims darkly. "Now, how about you return that which you stole from me and turn around so I can see you."

"I don't think that's very wise." she replies softly and knows her other self has noticed their similar voice.

"Turn around." past Croix orders her and Croix can't do nothing else but agree.

Hoping that nothing happens after both of them see each other, Croix turns and waits for the worst to occur.

When a couple of seconds go by and Croix feels that she's still alive, she opens her eyes to see her own shocked face staring blankly at her.

"What…" the woman murmurs worriedly. "What is going on?"

"I can explain this…" she says calmly and closes her eyes when her past self faints because of the shock.

"Figures…"

LWALWALWA

"So then I happened to be falling from my broom because I didn't realize that I needed to have magic in order to fly…" Akko finishes telling her first failed flight attempt to Ursula who is laughing loudly at her story.

"That's very funny." Ursula tells her happily. "And it seems like your determination has been a present trait since your childhood."

"More like stubbornness." the brunette smiles warmly. "Sometimes I wish that I knew of when to stop. Would have saved me from a lot of bruises and scars."

This makes the older woman stare curiously at her while walking side to side.

"Something's different about you, Akko." Ursula says carefully. "It's like I'm talking to you, but you've experienced more things and are more in control of yourself and your desires."

"Is it?" Akko laughs panicked.

 _Damn Ursula-Sensei and her ability to see right through me…_

"I can't quite understand it myself." Ursula continues saying.

"I mean, I think I have changed." the young witch says and prays for some kind of help.

And there, a couple of steps away from her, Diana was exiting the town's library.

"Diana!" Akko screams and sees the girl turning to look for the person that was calling her.

"Akko." Diana smiles softly at her before noticing Ursula there. "Professor Ursula."

"Diana." Ursula gives her a warm smile. "Although I haven't had the time to speak to you since your return, I'm glad to see you back at Luna Nova."

"And I am glad to be back as well." the blonde witch tells her honestly before turning to look at Akko expectantly.

 _Oh that's right, I was the one that called her…_

"Sorry I kept you waiting!" she apologizes to Diana who looks confused. "But I ran into Ursula-Sensei and when I looked at the time I realized that I was a little late."

"What?" the blonde asks her confused.

"You know…" Akko grabs her hands and squeezes them tightly hoping the girl understands what she wants. "We agreed to spend some time together so you could explain to me some spells you used in the manor?"

Diana stays quiet for a while and Akko thinks that her cover will be blown.

"Oh that's right." Diana says confidently. "Don't worry Akko. I also lost track of time in the library. But, we could still talk if you wish?"

"Only if you don't mind?" Akko asks Ursula this who merely gives her a bright smile.

"Of course not." the older witch tells her knowingly and waves to Diana before turning the other way.

 _Diana somehow is always saving me from trouble, even without knowing she's doing it,_ Akko thinks while watching Ursula walk back to Luna Nova.

 _That was very close…_

"Akko…" she hears Diana's no-nonsense voice calling her name. "Would you like to explain to me why I had to lie to Ursula-Sensei?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you…" Akko says to her with a soft smile and this makes the older witch stare curiously at her.

"You're not my Akko." Diana says simply and this makes Akko stare shockingly at her.

"What… What are you talking about?"

"The Akko of my time…" the blonde witch explains calmly to her. "Does not have this scar on her face." she points to the wound she obtained from Wagandea.

"I fell earlier…"

"That's a lie." Diana tells her simply. "I thought…" she whispers vulnerably. "That after what happened in my house we grew closer. Did that not happen when you're from?"

"It did happen!" Akko promises the girl she loves immediately while holding her hands.

 _We grew close alright…_

"Then why not tell me the truth?"

"I… I actually don't know what do right now." Akko chuckles bitterly. "I was supposed to not let anyone know that I come from the future and yet Ursula-Sensei almost found out while it only took you one look at me to figure it out. But then again, it doesn't surprise me that my girlfriend happens to be the one that sees right through me."

"Your girlfriend?" Diana asks her shocked and Akko wants to jinx herself and her big mouth.

 _She was so screwed…_

LWALWALWA

"Where am I?" her past self asks after regaining consciousness.

"In your evil lair." Croix informs her doppelganger calmly.

"So it wasn't a dream. You're actually here."

"Of course I am! Who do you think carried you all the way to your bed!"

"This is a lot to take in." past Croix admits and this makes Croix calm down.

"I know… And I would have preferred for us to not meet. But, it seems like it was inevitable."

Past Croix then stares questioningly at her.

"You come from the future." she simply says while groaning in pain. "Did I hit my head?"

"Yes, when you fainted I couldn't catch you before you hit the ground."

"Figures…" the lilac-haired woman mutters. "If you're from the future, why are you here? I know we're clever enough to not try to change the past."

"Indeed." Croix agrees immediately. "The fact that I'm here is all an accident. I planned on going to the future but somehow ended here."

"Somehow…" her past self chuckles knowingly. "You mean you won't tell me what went wrong so I don't try to make the artifact you used."

"You're not ready…" Croix tells her seriously.

"You're different. Happier…" past Croix tells her longingly.

"For the first time in a long time I can say that I am truly happy."

"Then that means we succeeded! We broke the seal of the Grand Triskellion."

"The seal was broken." Croix gives her a soft smile. "But not by us."

This makes her past self look down in sadness and desperation.

"Then how can you look so happy and at peace?"

"I'm happy because I'm free of all this pain and hatred." she says warmly. "And it took me a long time to get to this point." she stares at herself. "But I would never think of changing the path I took to get to where I am."

This makes her past self simply stare at her, confused about what was happening.

"Help me." she asks her hesitantly.

"Why would you need my help? You could easily incapacitate me and take what you need."

"You know it's not that simple now that you saw me." Croix explains to her past self.

"You mean you want me to drink a memory potion so I forget we met."

"It's for the best that you don't remember me and start questioning your every decision."

"So you know what I plan to do and you won't stop me." past Croix asks her incredulously.

"I'm not because the mistakes of my past have made me who I am. And luckily enough, I have people now that love me even with these dark parts." Croix tells her honestly and it seems that this is what her past self has wanted to hear.

"Do you mean Char will forgive me?" she whispers vulnerably. "Even after all of this?"

"Unbelievably she does." Croix smiles dashingly at her past self. "But then again, you know how wonderful and pure Chariot can be."

"Indeed I can." her doppelganger says while chuckling sadly. "Alright…" she says honestly. "I will take the potion."

"Good!" Croix tells her proudly. "Let me send a message to Akko so she can get the ingredients we don't have here."

"Akko?" her past self asks confused. "You traveled with her?"

"A lot has happened…" Croix tells her with a mischievous smile. "And, since you will forget anyway, would you like me to tell you some fun stories until she gets here?"

LWALWALWA

"So you mean to tell me that together we broke the seal of the Grand Triskellion and returned magic to the world?" Diana asks her while drinking from her tea.

"Yes, we fought a missile that was possessed by a demon Croix-Sensei created in the middle of space!" Akko tells her excitedly. "It was incredible."

"And when was it that our relationship changed from friends to lovers?" the blonde girl asks her this while blushing profusely.

"Well, I knew that I had feelings for you since I went to get you back to Luna Nova. But, I wasn't sure if you could feel the same for me until we returned to school and started spending time together." the brunette witch chuckles warmly. "I was pretty obvious and direct with my flirting. And, since you never told me to stop, I assumed that it was possible for you to like me as well."

"I see…" Diana tells her softly and hesitantly puts her hand on top of hers. "And… do you think your past self feels the same?"

"Well…" Akko tells her confidently. "She did go to get you back, right?" she asks her knowingly. "And if she's anything like me then I'm sure she's already crazy about you. I know I was."

This makes Diana blush even more than before.

"I wouldn't be opposed to that…" the blonde witch admits softly. "Although it upsets me a little to now be aware of what is going to happen and not be surprised when my Akko confesses her feelings to me."

This makes Akko look down in sadness at having messed that up for her girlfriend.

"It's not your fault." Diana squeezes her hand.

 _I know, it's Croix-Sensei's fault…_ she thinks before hearing her phone ring.

Taking it out, she notices that she just got a text from said woman.

 _Her timing is truly fantastic…_

 **Croix-Sensei:** _I already got the parts we need for the watch. Come to the lab and bring me some dark nectar leaves and a frog for a forgetting potion._

 **Akko:** _Why would you need a forgetting potion?_

 **Akko:** _Also, would that be enough for 2 dosages?_

 **Croix-Sensei:** _Why would YOU need a forgetting potion? *smirk*_

 **Akko:** _I'm on my way._

"Who was it?" Diana asks her after Akko has put her phone away.

"It was Croix-Sensei…" she tells Diana simply. "She has found a way for us to go back."

"That's great Akko!" the blonde witch tells her happily.

"And…" Akko says this hesitantly. "She may also be able to give you a forgetting potion."

"That way I will not remember meeting you or what you've said to me." Diana says sadly.

"Which is how it should be." the brunette witch gives her an encouraging smile. "Besides, don't you think that it's unfair for my past self to not be the one that sees you blush after a compliment or how truly surprised you will be when she confesses to you?"

This makes Diana close her eyes determined.

"I will drink that potion." she says simply and Akko kisses her on the cheek, which makes the blonde heiress blush.

"Thank you." Akko tells her warmly and pays for their tab before flying back to Luna Nova.

It was time to go home to her own Diana.

LWALWALWA

"And then she said: Because I, Diana Cavendish of the Cavendish Family, challenge you, Andrew Hanbridge, to a duel!" Croix finishes saying while laughing loudly.

"No way!" past Croix tells her while cracking up. "She really said that?"

"She totally did!" the lilac-haired woman promises her doppelganger. "Even produced a sword for the man so they could fight for Akko's hand."

"That's hilarious!"

"I know!" Croix says happily. "But let me tell you, when that girl has to fight or do something for Akko she goes completely bonkers."

"Who goes completely bonkers?" the two older witches hear a familiar voice ask them from the door and they both see Akko coming with Diana next to her, who watching all the machines and the tools Croix had in the lab.

"Akko!" Croix says and hugs the brunette tight. "I'm glad to see you're alright."

"It was only a couple of hours." Akko blushes but still accepts the older woman's hug.

"And…" the lilac-haired woman adds devilishly. "I can see that you couldn't stop yourself from talking with your girlfriend."

"It was an accident." Akko murmurs apologetically and then stares at her double. "But what about you, Sensei? You were the one who said that we couldn't let our past selves see us and yet here you are telling jokes and anecdotes!" the brunette witch hits her softly on the head. "What the hell is the matter with you?"

"We were bored of waiting Akko!" Croix tells her childishly. "So I started telling my past self about the time Diana challenged Andrew to a duel because he confessed to you."

"Andrew confessed to you?!" Diana asks Akko hurt.

"She rejected him." past Croix tells her confidently. "But you still went ahead and showed him, and all of Luna Nova, who was the boss by beating him in a fight."

"You mean to tell me that I claimed Akko as my own in front of the whole school?"

"Well, you confessed to her earlier after touching a truth stone." Croix says simply. "Which I guess means that you claimed her as your own even earlier."

"Croix!" Akko screams at her while trying to grab her. "What the hell is the matter with you?! Are you even real?"

"Although the idea of having the whole school hear what I feel for you is not very soothing, it does make me feel relieved to know that I showed Andrew that I am better than him at everything." Diana says happily.

"Of course you would only take that from what the Croixs have said." the brunette witch says resigned. "Now that we have talked about the future and are doing our best to gloss over the fact that we're all in a creepy evil lair…"

"LABORATORY!" both Croixs correct her immediately.

"How about we do the potion so that we can return to our time."

"The potion is done." Croix says happily. "All it needs is for you to put the leaves and the frog."

"And that's it?" Akko asks suspiciously.

"Memory potions are very simple to make." Diana is the one that explains to her. "It is the ingredients that are very difficult to obtain."

"Lucky for us I happen to be an apothecary in my spare time." past Croix explains to them proudly.

"As a hobby?" Akko says worriedly. "No, I won't even think about it. Just show us where the potion is so we can put the ingredients in."

"Right here." Croix points towards a cauldron and Akko quickly puts them in and the potion changes color from red to white.

"That's the color it's supposed to be." Diana says and gulps in hesitation at knowingly drinking something that will make her forget a part of her life.

"I know that you're not very comfortable with this…" Akko says softly to her. "But we both know that it's for the best."

"I promise you that it won't hurt at all and that you will remember coming back from town alone and going to your room to take a nap." Croix is the one that lets her know all the details. "While you will not remember me or the fact that I tried to enter the lab."

"We did reset everything so that I wouldn't notice anything amiss." past Croix gives her a soft smile. "Which means that all that's left to do is drink." she purrs two cups and gives Diana one of them.

"Thank you." Diana says softly to her. "I'm looking forward to knowing this new you after this is all over." she tells past Croix with a warm smile and drinks the cup.

"As I am of getting to know you two." past Croix says to Akko and Diana before drinking from her cup as well.

After a couple of seconds, Akko and Croix see that the two women from the past are sound asleep and they use their magic to transport them to their own beds.

Closing their eyes and relaxing at the fact that somehow everything had been fixed, Akko gives Croix a dangerous smile.

"You know…" the brunette witch tells her confidently. "It will take me a while to forgive you for this."

"For what?" Croix asks curiously while putting the new coordinates on the watch.

"For making me give Diana drink a forgetting potion."

"But she won't remember she did it!" the lilac-haired woman exclaims and both see the watch taking their magic.

"Still, you have been warned." Akko smiles at her and grabs her hand before Croix says the spell.

"Descorto tempo!" the older witch says and again the two of them are transported in a ray of light.

LWALWALWA

"You said…" Akko murmurs menacingly to the inventor while looking around her. "That you knew how to fix this…"

"I know how to fix this!"

"Then why?!" the brunette witch asks loudly. "Are we in the future and not at home?"

 _That…_ Croix thinks worriedly… _Is indeed the question._


	8. Back To The Future II

After traveling back in time, Akko thinks that they're finally home.  
Unfortunately, turns out they're not.  
Time-Travel One-Shot P2!

* * *

 _Time,_ Akko was starting to realize, _was something quite difficult to fully grasp…_

In fact, the brunette witch was scolding herself for not realizing this earlier and for not stopping her crazy professor from taking them on an insane time-travel experiment.

Now she was paying the consequences for it…

"You said…" Akko murmurs menacingly to the inventor while looking around her. "That you knew how to fix this…"

"I know how to fix this!"

"Then why?!" the brunette witch asks loudly. "Are we in the future and not at home?"

 _That…_ Croix thinks worriedly… _Is indeed the question._

"But this proves that the device works!" the older woman tries to defuse the situation. "Look, we're in the future!" she exclaims while pointing around her.

"It doesn't matter that it works." Akko says somberly. "Since the device has a little problem that takes the person that uses it whenever it wants!" she then looks around her confused. "And when are we?!"

"According to my calculations…" Croix takes out the watch and stares at it. "We are at Luna Nova 2 years after we left."

"So, if I'm not mistaken, right after Diana came back and I started to ask Ursula-Sensei about Lyonne." the younger girl says calmly. "If things went according to our own timeline, then that means you and I should still be at Luna Nova."

"You would be a senior!" the lilac-haired woman tells her excitedly while hugging Akko proudly. "In fact, it won't be long before graduation!" she smiles wickedly. "Want to go see how your relationship with Diana has blossomed?"

"No, no, I won't fall for the same trick as the first time. This time we're going straight home."

"But that's so boring!" Croix whines out. "Come on Akko, where is that spirit of adventure and fun you used to have?"

"I learned that it usually led me into dangerous situations and caused trouble for the people I cared about…" Akko tells her simply.

 _Which is kinda true…_ Croix thinks but is interrupted by Akko who is hurrying her.

"Now let's try to use that infernal watch again and see if it manages to take us back home."

"Infernal?" the inventor asks insulted.

"More like a Time Russian Roulette if you ask me…" Akko murmurs loudly enough for her to hear.

"That's something easy to fix!" Croix says offended.

"Then why didn't you fix it earlier?! When you were cracking some jokes with your past self?"

"Because I thought I did…" the lilac-haired witch murmurs.

Akko takes a deep breath and tries to think of what to do.

"We should just try to get back…" the brunette says absently. "I mean, the device didn't break, right?"

"The device works perfectly. We should have no problems while using it."

"Then let's just try again until we land in our time."

"Well…" Croix says carefully. "I think we should consider staying for a while."

"That's a terrible idea! The last thing we want is to have someone see us. Earlier we were lucky that we managed to travel to the past without making permanent changes to the timeline."

"About that…" Croix tells her softly while pointing towards the sky. "I don't think we were that successful."

"Is that…" Akko asks completely shocked. "Ursula-Sensei and I?" she points towards a big television that was showing the two witches performing a magic show.

"Yep… That's you alright…"

LWALWALWA

"When did we even change the past?!" Akko asks confused while concealing her face with a spell. "We erased the memories of Diana and your past self!"

"I'm just as surprised as you are about this." Croix tells her seriously. "I am sure we didn't leave any kind of evidence behind."

"Then what was it?" the brunette witch closes her eyes and tries to remember everything that happened earlier.

"Perhaps we should go seek answers at a library or a place that has internet access." the older witch suggests and both enter a coffee shop. "Seeing that magic is getting more recognition and promotion, I think it's safe to say that the seal of the Grand Triskellion was broken."

"Yeah, it says here that…" this makes Akko open her eyes in shock. " _Chariot Du Nord, former magic idol, and Atsuko Kagari, a student from Luna Nova, brought magic back to the world by breaking the seal of the Grand Triskellion."_ the young girl closes her eyes worriedly.

"Why was Chariot with you? It doesn't make sense since she was with me after I failed to break the seal."

"Also, why didn't the article mention Diana, Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Jasminka and Constanze." Akko asks confused. "We were all together because they went to find me after I ran away from Luna Nova…" she opens her eyes in shock. "Could it be that...?" she asks to herself and starts typing on her computer.

"Could it be what?" Croix asks confused.

"In our timeline, I didn't trust Ursula-Sensei right after I learned from you that she was Shiny Chariot." the young girl murmurs softly. "That was why I ran away from Luna Nova to begin with. It doesn't make sense for the others, or you, to not be there since you arrived to the Grand Triskellion with Ursula-Sensei and I got there with the others after the Leyline taking us to Luna Nova shut-down."

"Then perhaps that means that in this timeline, Chariot was the one that told you the truth about her being Shiny Chariot and not me." the lilac-haired woman says worriedly. "But when did she even have the time to tell you?"

"We left the past the day before you told me to go to Wagandea…" Akko remembers. "In our timeline, the day after Wagandea, Ursula-Sensei asked me to come to her office to talk about something important. And before she could tell me what it was, we were interrupted by Diana who said to me that Andrew wanted to see me in town."

"And when you were in town you happened to see my robots and started following them around." Croix remembers as well. "That means that in this timeline, Chariot had to tell you sometime before your meeting with Andrew."

"But it's impossible for us to know when exactly if we take into consideration the possibility of the past changing from the moment we left Luna Nova two years ago."

"In our timeline, you discovered the meaning of Lyonne after Chariot saved you in Wagandea." Croix reminisces out-loud. "Soon after, you found out her true identity from me."

"That doesn't mean that I wouldn't be capable of finding the meaning of Lyonne in the actions of someone else." Akko reminds her.

"You're right." Croix agrees with her. "So we'll start with searching for an article that describes the moment magic returned to the world."

Nodding in confirmation, Akko carefully types into the search engine and opens her eyes in shock because of what she's reading.

"Did you find something?" the inventor asks her excitedly.

"I didn't find the article you asked me to... But, I think that this one will clarify things for us…" Akko tells her somberly and again reads from the computer. _"Scandal at Luna Nova! Two witches from Luna Nova have discovered the undercover operation of a terrorist witch."_

"A terrorist witch?" Croix asks worriedly.

 _"Former professor and magical prodigy Croix-Meridies was discovered to possess an artifact of her own invention that used magic to affect the emotions of individuals. This type of magic, called Magitronics, allowed the user of the magical software to produce energy out of negative emotions. After the witches of Luna Nova made this discovery, Miss Meridies was captured and found guilty of terrorism; which led to a life sentence in the Parole du Absolution, a magical facility for dangerous witches."_

"Wait… I'm in prison?!" Croix shrieks out and earns the surprised attention of some customers.

"Shh! Even if you're in prison…" the brunette witch starts explaining to her.

"What do you mean 'even if you're in prison'." Croix asks her desperately. "I'm in prison!"

"Didn't you ever consider the fact that by unleashing a technological demon you could end up being arrested?" Akko asks her sarcastically and this makes the older woman shut up.

 _Being with Diana had certainly rubbed on Akko…_

"Still…" the younger witch says as if she wasn't interrupted. "That doesn't explain why Ursula-Sensei and I were the only ones that unlocked the last word. I mean, it was because your demon went all berserk that we all fought together and ended up activating the last word."

"But still something must have happened that made the last word activate in this different timeline." Croix murmurs softly. "Something that involved only Chariot and you."

"Don't you see Croix-Sensei? It all leads back to the point when my past self learns the truth about Shiny Chariot." Akko says simply. "I think that knowing when Ursula-Sensei told this timeline's Akko the truth will help us understand when events started to change."

"But I don't think the answer to that question will be on the internet." Croix says to her obviously.

"Although that may be, it does say in this website that I'm still studying at Luna Nova." Akko says determined.

"Wait, do you mean to tell me that…"

"We must go to Luna Nova and abduct my past self."

"Well, your future self to be precise." Croix corrects her. "Since we're no longer in the past, this timeline's Akko would be your future self."

"Fine!" Akko says exasperated. "We will go get my future self."

LWALWALWA

"Listen Akko, I know that I agreed with helping you abduct your future self…" Croix starts saying while looking around them. "And I also get why we must wear a disguise." she points at Akko's face. "But what I don't get is why mine looks like this…" she says bitterly at using such horrible clothes and makeup.

"Because you owe me." Akko tells her simply. "For starting all of this with that watch of yours."

"Relax Akko, I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Everything is not fine!" the younger brunette says softly. "Don't you find it strange that Ursula-Sensei and I allowed the Ministry to put you in jail? That article said that we were the ones that delivered you to the police."

"Well, I was planning on using innocent bystanders to enact my revenge, Akko." Croix tells her calmly. "It's understandable that you two told the Ministry about it."

"But that's the thing!" Akko continues explaining. "That in our timeline we only found out about your plan after you revealed Ursula-Sensei's secret. Why did things change in this timeline?"

"Chariot knew that I was trying to stop you from finding the 7 words." Croix says softly. "But she also knew that telling the authorities about me would only hinder you in your quest. She was, unfortunately, in quite the predicament."

"Then why did Ursula-Sensei change her way of thinking so radically in this timeline? She must have seen something that she didn't like before you two fought in town."

"In our timeline, Chariot only reacted when you were the one in danger. In fact, were it not for the fact that she had to save and take you back to Luna Nova, I think a similar fight to the one we had in my lab would have occurred." the lilac-haired woman muses to herself.

"Then that means that in our timeline, after you targeted me in Wagandea, Ursula-Sensei started to actively try to stop you." Akko reminisces.

"Indeed. Almost as if you were a catalyst that made her put your safety above the seven words."

This makes Akko smile warmly.

"That's Ursula-Sensei alright." she says proudly. "And since we're talking about the same person, this Ursula-Sensei probably acted and reacted similarly."

"You're saying then that the Chariot of this timeline must have seen that your life was in danger before Wagandea and that made her confront me earlier than in our timeline?" Croix wonders curiously. "Interesting…"

"That's the only thing that makes sense and could explain your absence during the missile crisis." Akko says confidently.

"Then we should ask your future self about what happened after we left for the present." the inventor determines. "Maybe that can give us a clue of when to go afterwards." she points towards the school building. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, seniors tend to have the afternoons off in order to work on their thesis."

"Then that means we must think of a place where my future self would like to go study."

"The library." Croix says immediately.

"No, too quiet and constricting." Akko tells her softly. "With Diana, we discovered this place in the gardens a couple of weeks ago. It's amazing and we've been going there to read, study or do magic ever since we found it."

 _Probably the same place where we saw them do that magic show…_ Croix thinks with a warm smile.

"Then lead the way." the lilac-haired woman says and soon enough the two witches arrive to the spot and see a copy of Akko and Diana there, hugging each other tenderly.

"Look Akko, you're with Diana in this future as well!" Croix tells her happily.

 _Thank Jennifer,_ Akko thought relieved because she had been scared of not being with the blonde witch in this timeline after learning that she had not been when she unlocked the 7th word. But, it seems like their bond, no matter the path taken, was destined to grow and blossom.

"That calms me tremendously." Akko says while accidentally stepping on a root.

"Who's there?!" Diana asks threateningly while raising her wand and pointing it at them.

"Wait, don't shoot!" Croix says and pulls the two of them out from their hiding spot. "We are not here to hurt you."

"Of course you can't hurt us because you have used most of your magic to conceal yourselves." the blonde witch tells them knowingly. "Who are you?"

"Diana…" future Akko whispers and the heiress relaxes her stance.

"Reveal yourselves." she orders them and the two time-travelers know that there's something going on with the brunette witch in front of them.

"You don't look very happy." Croix whispers to her while pointing at her older self.

"I noticed it as well…" Akko tells murmurs to her calmly.

"So… Are you going to stop talking between the two of you and start showing us who you really are?" Diana asks them exasperated.

"Oh, right…" Akko apologizes and soon enough she's back to her normal self.

"You're me. Well, a younger me." future Akko says simply while sitting down on the floor.

"She took it way better than I expected." Croix says to them. "Unlike your girlfriend here who looks like she has seen a ghost."

Akko hits Croix softly on her shoulder.

"Akko?" Diana asks confused and this makes present Akko stare warmly at her.

"Hi Diana." she smiles cheekily and notices the way the blonde's eyes open in shock and happiness at the sight of her smile.

 _Yeah, something was definitely going on._

"What about you?" future Akko says to Croix who gives her a bemused smile and let's go of her spell.

"I'm surprised you were not very shocked at seeing Akko here…" the lilac-haired starts saying but stops talking when she notices the sad and shocked looks of the two girls from the future.

"It can't be…"

"Croix-Sensei…" future Akko chokes out. "You, you're alive."

"Of course I'm alive!" Croix says simply and then thinks what the words future Akko said to her mean. "Why wouldn't I be? No, wait, does that mean that I AM DEAD?!"

This makes future Akko look down in sadness.

"But that can't be true." Akko whispers worriedly. "I know that we wouldn't let that happen." she stares at Diana and her other self. "And that Ursula-Sensei would fight for Croix-Sensei no matter what."

"It was a couple of weeks ago." Diana is the one that murmurs dejectedly. "Chariot and Akko were preparing for a show when we received a message from the prison where you were staying. They said that Croix-Sensei had been the victim of a terrible accident inside of it."

"An accident?" Croix asks absently.

"Yes, the prison where your other self was had not been keeping up with regulations. Hence, a building collapsed and you happened to be in it while it happened." future Akko closes her eyes bitterly. "Bad luck they called it. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"And Ursula-Sensei?" Akko asks worriedly because she knew that no matter what, her mentor loved Croix-Sensei with everything she had.

"We haven't seen her since the funeral. She doesn't leave her room and we have to bring her food if we want her to eat." Diana tells them sadly. "Akko and I have tried to speak to her, but she blames herself for what happened. And she's right. It was because of us that you were sent there."

"Why would you say that?" Akko asks them hesitantly.

"Well, it was soon after I came back from the Cavendish manor." the blonde continues explaining while sitting next to her Akko and holding her tight. "Akko and I started to grow closer, which meant that I found out that she was searching the 7 words with the help of Professor Chariot. But, Professor Chariot and I got worried when we noticed that Professor Croix was getting too close to Akko. We knew about the Fuel Spirit and it didn't take long for Professor Chariot and I to realize that you were using the same magic to create negative energy."

"So, in this timeline Diana was working with Ursula-Sensei to try to stop you." Akko says surprised.

"We didn't want anything to interfere with your classes since we believed that the 6th word would appear to you in any moment." Diana tells them simply. "Until Professor Chariot decided that Professor Croix was becoming too volatile and could truly hurt you if left alone."

"It also didn't help that Chariot-Sensei asked me about a meeting between Croix-Sensei that I had no recollection of." future Akko adds as well.

Present Akko and Croix give each other knowing looks that don't go overlooked by Diana.

"You know about this." the blonde witch tells them.

"Yes, and I promise you we will explain." Croix tells her. "But, and this is important, could you please tell us when you found out Chariot was Shiny Chariot?"

"That morning actually." future Akko informs them. "After she asked me about that meeting and I failed to remember about it, she apologized for putting me in harms' way and told me she was Shiny Chariot. As you can imagine, I was so shocked by all of it that I ran away and left Luna Nova." the young girl admits. "Diana was the one who found me." she smiles sadly at her girlfriend.

"I was so nervous because I had talked to Professor Chariot and she had said that it was time to finish things. To put an end to all their suffering and to let go of the past." Diana tells them calmly. "But all I could care about was Akko and the fact that she was so sad and upset." she chuckles. "I told her that I liked Shiny Chariot as well and that she was capable of getting her magic back."

"She promised me that she would always stay by my side and help me." future Akko whispers vehemently. "And when she said that, I knew that what I felt for Diana was no mere friendship. So I took that promise she gave me and I thanked her for it. For being with me and for coming to find me."

"Lyonne." Croix says surprised because her Akko's suspicions had been correct.

This timeline's Akko had found another way to unlock the words.

"When we arrived to Luna Nova and searched for Professor Chariot, we got told that she was talking with Professor Croix. Of course, we immediately thought the worst and we ran to the lab. But when we got there, all we saw was Professor Chariot and Professor Croix crying and hugging each other."

"WAIT, WHAT?" Croix asks confused because she had been expecting this timeline's versions of themselves to also start an epic sword and gun fight.

"Chariot-Sensei never told me much because it was a secret between Croix-Sensei and her." future Akko informs them softly. "But what she did say is that before both of them started to fight, they were reminded of what first made them become friends."

"Once we arrived…" Diana continues the story. "Professor Croix surrendered herself to the authorities. As newspapers tend to do, they created this story of Professor Chariot and Akko discovering her lab but in reality it wasn't like that."

"We read that story." Akko tells them confused. "If you were there with them, why wasn't your name in the story as well?"

"Because I asked them not to put it there." the blonde heiress simply says. "If my last name had been on that story, it would have made a bigger scandal of the incident. And we wanted to give Professor Croix the privacy she asked for in order to heal and get better."

"Then that's how it was." Croix smiles softly at the two girls from the future. "You three did the best for me and I am grateful for that. In fact, I'm sure that in the end I must have been thankful to the three of you for helping me not hurt others."

This makes future Akko start crying.

"That's the same thing she said to us during our last visit. We could see her improving, getting better and letting go of past regrets. They were considering letting you go, Croix-Sensei. And although I was told by you to not say anything to Chariot-Sensei, you were planning on surprising her with the news during her birthday."

 _This is all too close to what our timeline was like…_

"Listen to me." Akko tells her double intently. "This, what you have lived, is not supposed to happen. We…" she points at Croix-Sensei and herself. "Traveled to the past by accident and changed it."

"You changed the past…" the brunette witch says astonished. "Diana, does that mean..."

"If they happen to find out the exact moment in which the past changed, they could return things to the way they were." Diana says hopefully. "You could make things right."

"That's why we were asking you for your help." Croix takes out her watch and shows it to the future witches. "With this we can go back and make things right."

"Then you must go back to the moment when I have that meeting with Chariot-Sensei!" future Akko tells them excitedly. "I think that was the moment she believed Croix-Sensei was becoming too dangerous."

"Professor Chariot did suspect that Professor Croix either hypnotized or erased Akko's memories." she murmurs. "Besides, since are a very exceptional apothecary, her suspicions were not that far-fetched."

"Indeed." the lilac-haired woman agrees with them. "What happened that day two years ago was an unfortunate accident. It was the exact moment Akko and I arrived from the present and were learning about where we were."

"We were going to Luna Nova in order to find the parts Croix-Sensei needed for her watch when Ursula-Sensei saw us." Akko tells them sadly. "And when we failed to erase her memory in order to get her to forget her meeting with me, that lingering distrust must have made her react before the incident at Wagandea."

"Wagandea?" Diana and future Akko ask confused.

"It never happened here." Croix says and then further connects the dots. "Of course, that's why Chariot can fly here. She never inhaled the pollen from the tree."

"Then we must go back at once Croix-Sensei!" Akko says excitedly but then looks at Diana and her doppelganger. "But what about them? They saw us."

"If you return the past to the way it was, then we shouldn't exist and you will have no recollection of this future." Diana is the one that tells her warmly.

"Indeed." Croix agrees. "Which means that we have to succeed."

"We'll fix things!" the younger brunette promises the two older girls. "I won't let our dear Croix-Sensei leave us." she smiles at them while grabbing the lilac-haired woman's hand.

"We'll leave it to you!" future Akko says happily and knows Diana is watching her every move.

"Thank you." Diana whispers to the two witches from the past before stepping away from them. "For helping me return Akko's smile."

"That's one smile that should always be there." Croix says happily and hugs the two girls before taking her watch out and starting the spell.

"Let's go fix this once and for all Croix-Sensei!" Akko tells her determined. "Let's go back to the past!"

"Descorto tempo!" she screams and the two witches disappear in a ray of light.

* * *

I actually forgot how hard it is to write time-travel fics (specially if you want to make them match with canon). Hope you enjoy this one as well and the final part will come soon!


	9. Because of You

One-Shot that takes place a week after chapter 4.  
Ursula asks Croix if it would be ok for her to visit her at her apartment and Croix knows that something is not right.  
Or, the one shot that shows us how much Ursula was affected with what happened to Akko.

I'll admit that in the middle of writing Back to the Future III I started editing a youtube video of Chariox with the song because of you. Since it turned out so well, I decided to make a chapter out of that video and how the video would be the memories Chariot and Croix have.  
Just search on youtube Croix and Chariot: Because of You and the video should be there (FF won't let me put the link).

* * *

 _"Croix, would it be ok if I went to see you?"_ Croix hears Chariot saying from her phone.

"Of course!" she tells the red-haired witch excitedly while taking a look around her place. "You know that you can come whenever you want." she promises her friend immediately.

 _Thankfully my place looks tidy enough._

 _"I apologize for asking this so suddenly…"_ Chariot continues explaining and there's something in her friend's voice that worries her. _"But I just need to get away from Luna Nova for a while."_

 _Something definitely happened._

"Did something happen?" Croix asks worriedly. "Are you alright?"

Croix is answered by silence.

"Char, if you don't tell me something I will freak out and go straight to Luna Nova, parole officer and house-arrest be damned."

 _"No Croix!"_ Chariot tells her quickly. _"I will tell you everything."_ she promises her. _"I just want to do it in person."_

This makes Croix relax and sit down in her chair again.

"Damn it Char." she closes her eyes while taking a deep breath. "Please don't scare me like that."

 _"I'm sorry…"_ the red-haired woman apologizes immediately. _"I'm just… I don't… Today wasn't a good day and I don't know what I'm feeling."_

"Can you at least tell me that you're alright?" Croix asks her when she realizes that Chariot is doing her best to not start crying.

 _Something very bad must have happened at Luna Nova and Croix was going to find out what it was._

 _"I am… alright."_ Chariot finally says and it sounds so false that it makes Croix smile bitterly.

They had both grown up so much that sometimes, Croix regretted not enjoying their innocent and childish moments more.

Because she knew that no matter what, especially after the things she had done, there would be no way for her to go back to the way she was. Or for Chariot and her to become what they once were.

The only way they could now move was forward.

"That wasn't very convincing Char." Croix tells her while chuckling sadly.

 _"Well, you happen to be one of the few people who truly know me and can realize I'm lying when I say it."_ Chariot chuckles bitterly as well. _"Although I am sorry that I worried you."_

"You also know me well enough to realize that I will always worry about the people I care about. And that you're one of them."

 _"Indeed."_ her friend says calmly and a comfortable silence is set between them.

"When will you come?" Croix asks softly.

 _"Tonight. If I can?"_ there's some hesitation in her friend's voice and the lilac-haired witch doesn't like it.

Chariot sounded defeated.

"I'll be waiting for you."

 _"And Croix…"_ Chariot says to her softly. _"Because I know you too well and I know you're planning on calling Akko or Diana to ask what happened today… Could you not do it?"_

This makes Croix just stare at her phone silently.

Because with that last sentence, Chariot had told her that whateve happened at Luna Nova had involved Akko and Diana.

LWALWALWA

The waiting was killing her.

After that call she had with Chariot, it took everything Croix had to not dial Akko or Diana and ask them for more information. Not knowing things, not studying them and analyzing them; it went against her core as an inventor and scientist. But she had promised Chariot that was going to wait for her and Croix had no intent of breaking her friend's trust like that.

But now that she thought about it, it had been a couple of days since Akko last called her and that had seemed strange to her. Because although she sometimes felt that she didn't deserve it, the brunette girl called her almost every day to just talk and let her know what was happening at Luna Nova. It made Croix feel included in their daily lives even from far away.

Croix knew Akko was doing so because she could sense it motivated her.

And because that was just the way Akko was; kind and generous.

So, by 8pm Croix was going crazy in her room. Usually, when she felt this way she started making a mess in order to find something that would make her forget about her situation. Nevertheless, right now she couldn't do so because Chariot was coming and she didn't want to make her friend see her room in such a state.

Akko had seen it once and had been adamant about her fixing it before Chariot came for a visit.

Which again, was why Croix was only capable of walking from one side of the apartment to the other.

And her apartment wasn't specifically big…

 _Ring, ring…_

Stopping, Croix is running towards the door. She didn't care about seeing desperate or insane. All she wanted to do was open the door and see that her friend, the only person she had ever loved (in a romantic way), was alright.

So, when she opened the door and saw Chariot smiling sadly at her, Croix did the only thing she could think of and hugged the red-haired woman desperately.

"Croix…" Chariot whispers vehemently and that makes the lilac-haired woman squeeze her even tighter.

"Char." she replies with a soft smile on her face. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Can I come in?" she asks hesitantly.

"Of course." she separates from Chariot and moves aside so that she can come in. "My apartment is nothing fancy or big…" she starts explaining. "But I have found a way to make it work and become cozy."

"I can see that." Chariot tells her with a soft smile while moving towards one of the walls. "I like it. It's very you."

"Thank you." Croix says embarrassed but still stays behind her friend. "Although right now it looks so much better than before. Seriously, it was that bad that when Akko came to see me she told me she was going to let you know about it. But based on your…" she stops saying when she notices her friend closing her fists tightly.

Moving in front of Chariot, Croix tries to get her friend to stare at her. To explain what was happening and why she was so upset because the woman in front of her was ready to collapse.

"Char…" Croix whispers tenderly. "You can depend on me. I am here for you." she promises vehemently and that makes the red-haired woman sob desperately. "I know that very painful things have happened between the two of us over the last 10 years." she continues saying. "But I want to prove to you that it's all in the past. That I am on my way to becoming the kind of person you deserve Char."

"Oh Croix!" Chariot sobs and hugs her from behind, burying her face in her neck. "I just… I feel so angry and ashamed."

"Why do you feel ashamed?" she asks the professor while using her arms to caress the hands around her waist.

"I'm ashamed of the thoughts I had concerning a student." Chariot whispers and this makes Croix stop her ministrations. "Feelings of anger and hate. I wanted to hurt a girl, Croix."

"Why?" Croix cannot believe her sweet Chariot would be capable of doing such a thing.

Unless…

"Don't tell me it's Akko." it doesn't take Croix that long to connect the dots.

Why Akko had not been calling her…

Why Chariot had asked her to not call her…

Why her friend Chariot would be so lost and confused…

Croix closes her eyes and tries to breathe deeply, feeling that not knowing what was happening was instigating her body to stop functioning.

"Please…" she whispers desperately to Chariot. "Tell me she's alright. She hasn't been calling me over the last week and I've been getting worried. I assumed she was busy with magic lessons and courting Diana, but now I…"

"Akko is alright. At least she is now." Chariot says apologetically. "But for a couple of days she wasn't and it was very heartbreaking."

"What happened?" Croix asks worriedly and starts listening to the awful tale her friend started saying.

How Akko had defended her friends against some bullies. How those bullies planned it all so they could show the school what would happen to witches like Akko. How scared Chariot had been when she saw the distress signal she taught Akko shinning in the sky. How terrified they all were when Akko was not responding to their questions and was flinching at the sight of them. How close Chariot had been to let loose and hurt the girl responsible for causing her favorite student so much pain.

And Croix could understand her friend's pain because she was feeling it as well. Akko didn't deserve to be treated like that. She had done so much for so many and yet there were still people out there who wanted to hurt her.

The world was truly a very unfair place to be for people who were misunderstood.

People like Akko, Chariot, Diana and herself.

"Nobody could blame you for feeling angry Char." she tells the red-haired woman softly. "Everyone knows how much you love Akko and the bond you two share."

"I just can't stop thinking about it Croix…" Chariot whispers brokenly. "The way she looked so defeated and scared. She didn't even let Diana touch her because they were wearing the same uniform."

"Who was the girl?" Croix asks bitterly.

"Samantha McCallister. She's a senior who is part of the student council body and is trying to get the school board to not implement the changes that would allow more girls like Akko to learn magic."

"That's just awful." the inventor closes her eyes. "Honestly, I sometimes don't get why we even try to help people who when they have the first chance attack us without mercy."

"Croix…"

"Don't you see Char?! It was the same thing that happened to you when you became Shiny Chariot. They supported you until you were not capable of meeting their demands. The moment that happened, they abandoned and insulted you mercilessly. Now look at Diana and Akko. After basically saving a country from a mission we have girls that publicly bully another one and not one of them tried to stop her."

This makes Chariot look down in sadness.

"I guess this is why Akko didn't want to tell me, huh…" Croix says bitterly. "Because she knew I would say things like this."

"She didn't tell you anything because she knew you would come to Luna Nova. And she didn't want you to risk your opportunity to ask for release." Chariot smiles sadly at her. "The moment she found out I was planning on visiting you, she asked me to tell you all of this. And to ask you if you could call her back."

This makes Croix chuckle softly.

"I swear that girl is really something." Croix whispers loud enough for the two of them to hear. "But she was right. I would have left this apartment and fly straight to Luna Nova consequences be damned. I love her and I wanted to be there for her."

"I stayed with her the whole time." Chariot promises her friend because she knows that's what Croix wants to hear. "In fact, the reason I left Luna Nova today was because Akko returned to classes and I needed some space to think."

"Think about what?" she asks curiously.

"I guess nothing at all." the red-haired says simply. "Because all I had been doing inside that room in the infirmary was think of possibilities. Should I report the girl? Should I tell her parents? Should I talk to her myself…? I was incredibly confused and seeing Akko in a catatonic state was not helping me think clearly."

"What did you do then?"

"I told Principal Holbrook and Finneran." she tells the inventor. "But they said that because the girl belonged to one of the olde families they couldn't just expel her without any kind of evidence."

"Bastards." Croix whispers angrily.

"When they told me that I didn't know what to do. I almost went to that girl's room." Chariot closes her eyes desperately. "And that was the moment I called you Croix. Because I knew that if I stayed at Luna Nova then I would hurt that girl."

"Chariot…" she can't stop herself from whispering because she had never seen her friend look so angry or defeated.

Stepping closer to Chariot, Croix again hugs her tight to her body, somehow expecting her friend to respond to the touch and then move away.

But what she was not expecting was for Chariot to return her embrace with the same urgency and passion. Nor the roaming hands that she could now feel moving across her stomach and hips.

"Chariot?" Croix asks confused because the red-haired woman was not letting her see her face. "What are you doing?"

"I selfishly came here in order to run away from my demons at Luna Nova." Chariot whispers close to her. "Of that feeling inside of me that wants to hurt and cause pain to the individual responsible of making Akko suffer like that."

"You would regret it." she tells her friend confidently. "Even if the person deserved it, you would regret it and that would hurt your relationship with Akko. Specially since Akko would be against you doing such a thing."

This makes Chariot separate from her.

"I know that!" the red-haired witch tells her desperately. "But I have all of these emotions and feelings inside of me that I don't know what to do." she then stares desperately at Croix. "Please, help me remember who I am…" she whimpers and that's all it takes for Croix to walk over to her and grab her tightly.

"We've hurt each other very much." the lilac-haired woman says firmly. "We've both been through a lot and that's why we know each other the best." she squeezes her hands nervously. "But because I _do_ know you, I think I can help you. But perhaps my way of helping may be no help to you at all..."

"I don't understand." Chariot says confused but doesn't create any distance between them.

"After you gave me a second chance, I promised myself to become better." Croix caresses her face lovingly. "And even after all this years, my feelings for you have not changed. In fact, they've gotten stronger and deeper." she admits honestly. "So please, stop me if I'm doing this wrong or if this is something you don't want…" she finishes saying and kisses Chariot softly on the lips.

Chariot, feeling the desire and passion coming from the lilac-haired woman, doesn't wait long before she starts returning the kiss, using her tongue to intensify it and show Croix with her actions that she wanted this.

"Chariot…" Croix moans while moving her hands through Chariot's body.

 _It had been so long…_

"Croix…" the red-haired separates her mouth from hers. "I wanted you to know that this…" she caresses her lip. "Is not because I'm upset or because I need to find a person that will make me forget my worries." she tenderly grabs her face. "This is because it's you the person in front of me and because I lov…"

"No, don't say it yet." Croix interrupts her with a soft kiss. "I promised you that I would return to you. That I would make it back to Luna Nova so we could start anew." she reminds her friend. "And what you were going to say, although I've waited 10 years to hear it, should be a part of that new beginning we were talking about."

"Croix…" Chariot whispers with tears in her eyes.

"So, instead of saying the words out-loud, let's show what we feel to each other with our actions." the lilac-haired woman finishes saying and kisses her vehemently on the lips.

"Oh Croix!" the other woman moans and quickly starts taking their clothes off. "Although you told me not to say it, I will say this…" she grabs Croix's hand and takes her to the bedroom. "Tonight, we're not simply having sex. Tonight Croix we're making love." she promises her surely and Croix can finally let herself go.

"I will make you forget your own name, Chariot Du Nord." Croix promises her with a smirk on her face and bends down to make that happen.

She had a promise to keep.

LWALWALWA

"Are you sure that it's ok for us to just come here without telling them?" Diana asks warily while watching Akko take out a hidden key from under the carpet.

"Ursula-Sensei told me that she was coming to visit Croix-Sensei because she wanted to see her!" Akko gushes happily while finding the right key. "And isn't that romantic?"

"Well, it is heartwarming to see Professor Ursula let go of all the walls she had built around herself." she agrees with Akko because a happy Ursula made everyone happier. "But what I don't understand is why we have to come visit Professor Croix at the same time."

This makes Akko look down in sadness.

"I haven't been calling Croix-Sensei after what happened." she whispers loud enough for Diana to hear her. "And I just wanted to let Croix-Sensei know that I'm alright and I'm feeling better."

"Akko…" Diana says softly while holding her hand tightly.

"Besides, I also just love both of them so much. Ursula-Sensei was the first person that believed in me. And Croix-Sensei, well, once you get over her evil super-villain facade; you realize that she's loyal and loving with the people she cares about."

"Indeed." she agrees with the brunette because the lilac-haired woman was also starting to grow fond on her. "So, weren't you going to open that door?" she asks her friend who smiles brightly at her and fits the key into the lock.

 _Click, click_

"Hi, Croix-Sensei! Ursula-Sensei!" Akko yells while taking her shoes off and entering the apartment.

Meanwhile, Diana was taking her time to look around. She had never been inside Professor Croix's apartment and was surprised at the tidiness and organization she could see in it.

She was honestly expecting the opposite.

"You have cleaned your apartment, Croix-Sensei!" the blonde witch hears Akko say from afar and is ready to slowly follow the voice before two sets of screams make her jump and run towards the noise with her wand in her hand.

"Akko?!" Diana screams while running through a door and stops speaking when she sees what had shaken out her friend so much.

"Professor Croix…" she whispers while watching the lilac-haired woman naked in bed, holding an equally naked and embarrassed Professor Ursula. "Wha…"

"Look, look!" Akko yells excitedly while getting close to her. "I told you that I had a good feeling about Ursula-Sensei's visit."

"Wait what?" Croix asks them from the bed. "What feeling?" she asks the brunette girl knowingly.

"Is knowing about Akko's intuition really that important right now?" Ursula murmurs from behind Croix.

"I agree." Diana adds immediately. "Although I always am interested in learning more about Akko, the setting and current situation are not quite favorable." she blushes while trying to get her eyes to not look at the two women on the bed.

This makes Croix chuckle evilly.

"Is that a blush I see in your cheeks Diana?" she asks the blonde girl who huffs and blushes even more than before.

"Stop teasing her Croix-Sensei. She came with me to keep me company and because she missed you as well." Akko says this while staring apologetically at the inventor. "I don't know if Ursula-Sensei already explained to you what happened."

Croix nods in confirmation.

"But I wanted to come apologize with you for not telling you anything myself." she whispers softly. "Because I know how much you care about me and how much you would have wanted to be there with us."

"Akko was heartbroken about not being capable of calling you." Diana admits softly. "But she couldn't because speaking of the incident made her remember it vividly."

"Which wasn't a very nice experience." Akko tries to joke but it's not funny.

"Akko…" Croix says softly.

"Although I sometimes joke and pretend to be tough with you, Crox-Sensei; the reality is that I do so because I trust and love you." she says happily. "And I wanted to come say that to you in person and not through a call."

"I love you too Akko." the lilac-haired woman is going to stand to hug Akko but is stopped by a blushing Ursula and Diana.

"I don't…"

"think that's the best idea." Ursula and Diana say at the same time while looking downwards and reminding Croix that she was naked.

"Although…" Akko adds while getting close to Croix and Ursula with a cheeky smile. "It makes me very happy to see that this new development in your relationship will make me very rich."

"Rich?" Croix asks confused and can't help but smile when Akko takes a selfie with them.

"WAIT, what are you doing?" Ursula asks Akko while trying to stand up to follow the girl but stopping when she remembers she doesn't have clothes on.

"This is evidence for the bet. That way those three will have to pay me for sure." the brunette witch smirks while editing and cropping the picture so that only their faces can be seen. "There! Made it PG-13!" she smirks and with a last look and kiss to her professors' cheeks she leaves the room.

The three remaining witches simply stare dumbly at each other.

"I sometimes forget that Akko is not easily embarrassed by nudity because she comes from Japan." Diana chuckles softly.

"Indeed, I think Chariot screamed out of shock while Akko screamed out of excitement at discovering us in this position." Croix says with a soft smile.

"And about this position..." Ursula murmurs embarrassed to Croix while looking at Diana who was trying her best to be civil. "Perhaps you could give us some alone time to change?"

This makes Diana blush ever harder than before.

"Of course!" the blonde witch says embarrassed. "I apologize for staring." she starts to leave.

"Wait!" the lilac-haired witch stops her. "So this…" she points at them. "Had a betting pool on it?" she pouts when Diana nods in confirmation. "Why didn't they tell me so that I could put some money on it?!"

"Croix!" Ursula scolds her while hitting her softly in the head and then focuses on Diana. "But if it was a bet then Akko…"

"Will delete that picture the moment she earns her money." Diana promises her with a warm smile. "I'll make sure of that." she winks at them and also runs away.

"Thank you Dia… WAIT, UNTIL SHE EARNS HER MONEY?!" Ursula shrieks and immediately starts running around the room to get her clothes when the coast is clear. "I'm going to kill those two…" she starts saying but stops when she hears Croix's beautiful laugh.

"Chariot…" the lilac-haired woman continues chuckling while taking the sheets off her body. "Are you really going to run around town chasing those girls when I'm here, all naked and ready, waiting for you?" she teases Chariot who cannot stop staring at her body.

Groaning, this time Ursula uses her wand to get rid of her clothes and immediately jumps on top of Croix who catches her in a warm embrace.

"This…" Chariot says while caressing her face tenderly. "Is what I want our future to look like."

"Even the part where we get embarrassed by those two brats?" Croix jokes with her.

"That, alongside you, are the two things that make this all perfect. Don't you think?"

"Yes, I do." the lilac-haired woman kisses her lovingly on the lips. "And I promise you Char that very soon I'll be on my way home. On my way to you."


	10. Back To The Future III

The final part of the Back to the Future arc! Croix and Akko return to the past and must now find Chariot in order to make things return to normal.  
Also, Akko will take any opportunity to get revenge on Croix.

Notes:

This arc was so complicated hahaha! But hopefully I did it justice and it's one you like! Next chapter will come from a prompt given to me! So look forward to that one!

* * *

Opening her eyes after her last spell, Croix takes a look around her and exhales in relief when she realizes that they have returned to the past.

Finally her watch seemed to work correctly.

 _I guess third's time the charm…_

"Croix-Sensei!" Akko says to her while taking her wand out. "We must hurry!" the girl continues explaining while running. "Because we were at Luna Nova when we activated the spell, we'll have to go all the way to town in order to catch up with Ursula-Sensei."

"We can use my magic!" the lilac-haired woman is going to do the spell but Akko stops her.

"I'm almost out of magic. And, I haven't used as much magic as you have." she points at her wand. "We need you to have enough magic to take us back home."

"You're right." Croix says quickly and looks at the time. "We've arrived at precisely 8:08am, a couple of minutes before Chariot found us in town."

"Then does that mean that right now, in this timeline, there will be other versions of ourselves as well? Our us from before?" Akko asks worriedly.

"That's right!" the inventor says excitedly. "We have to make sure that they're not aware we're changing the timeline so that they don't change anything in return."

"Because if they do then it may not be certain that we'll end up here." the brunette witch closes her eyes worriedly. "Croix-Sensei, no matter what, the moment we return home I will kill you."

"Don't be that way Akko! Think of all you have seen!" Croix jokes with her. "Besides, if we want to make it back home then I suggest we wait near Luna Nova for Chariot to return to the school."

"You left right after we finished talking, right?"

"Indeed. And I went straight towards the lab."

"But Ursula-Sensei and did stay in town to have some tea. It wasn't for very long but it'll probably take her a while to make her way back here." the brunette witch remembers.

"Then we should use this time to plan how we're going to make her drink the potion. Unfortunately, I don't think Chariot will be as understanding as Diana and my other self have been. Anything that comes from me will bring her mistrust." the older witch muses out-loud.

"You're right about that." Akko says calmly. "And now we also have to worry about my other self since she will be at Luna Nova for sure. She did say Ursula-Sensei talked to her that morning and confessed her secret."

"That must have happened while we were in the lab."

"Then that means we must intercept Ursula-Sensei after she returns to Luna Nova and before she talks to me. I can't know she's Shiny Chariot until the protests in town get bigger."

"That's right! After considering all that has happened since we started this journey, I believe that the timeline changed because you found out Chariot's identity earlier than in our timeline." Croix says surely.

"What do you suggest we do?" Akko asks while sitting down on the floor. "You know Ursula-Sensei the best and will have an idea of how she will react. Because I know for sure that she will not drink a potion made by me. And I wouldn't blame her for that." she chuckles warmly. "I don't want to force her to drink the potion."

"Of course not." she agrees immediately. "I'm confident in Chariot's capacity to forgive and listen. It is one of her best traits. So, if I were to talk to her alone, then she would hear me out. At least for long enough to explain to her what is happening. Remember, she's wary of me being close to you because she loves you and believes that I want to stop you from finding the words."

"Well, you did want that to happen." the brunette girl reminds her cheekily. "But what you're saying makes sense. Besides, there's no risk of your other self interfering since she'll be in the lab with our other us." she stands up excitedly. "Let's go to Luna Nova and wait for Ursula-Sensei in the Astronomy tower."

"And scare the bejesus out of her by breaking and entering?" Croix asks her unbelievably and then smiles brightly. "That's an amazing idea!"

"If you think that then that means it's an awful one." Akko says while closing her eyes exasperated.

"Alright, alright." she raises her hands calmly. "Approximately, we should have half an hour before Chariot returns to Luna Nova, correct?"

Akko nods in confirmation.

"And, if I remember correctly, when I made the first forgetting potion, most of the ingredients I used came from my other self. So, we'll need to buy or get new ones ourselves."

"Really?" the brunette stares knowingly at her. "And are they easy ingredients to find?"

"Well, the greenhouse of the school should have them." Croix says confidently. "The only ones that are a little difficult are the ones I asked you to search the first time."

"The frog and the dark nectar leaves."

"Indeed. But, you'll have to get them from somewhere else since if you get them from the same place Diana and your other self found them, it could be possible you will be changing things."

"This is too complicated." Akko murmurs bitterly but still stands up from the floor. "After I get those two things, where will we meet?"

"Meet me at the greenhouse." Croix tells her and grabs Akko's cellphone. "I turned on the timer. It will let you know how much time you have left before half an hour goes by." she then turns to head for the greenhouse. "I will try to make the potion in there so that once it's done we can take it straight to the Astronomy Tower."

"Then I'll be as fast as possible." the young girl promises confidently. "And Croix-Sensei, don't cause any kind of trouble."

"Not my fault that trouble finds me!" the lilac-haired witch smiles brightly at her before turning around and heading away.

LWALWALWA

Walking around the school, Croix is again thankful about the fact that it's a weekend and many girls are still in bed or are too lazy to get out early. Not that she had anything to fear because her other self was safely locked in her lab and that meant she had free reign to move around the school without arising any suspicions.

Getting closer to the greenhouse, Croix quickly takes a look around to confirm that no one too familiar with her is around. Once that's done, she enters the small house and starts gathering the many materials she will need for the potion. Deciding that it would be better for her to mix and prepare the potion in here, she gets one of the many cauldrons and starts pouring and chanting words. Although she tended to prefer to use her robots and machines for these types of things, she enjoyed the process of making potions because it relaxed her.

But of course she would never mention this to Chariot, Akko or Diana.

Once smoke and gases started coming out of the cauldron, Croix stops mixing and lets the potion rest. The success of forgetting potions was to follow the specific steps in its preparation. And, while it only took 15 minutes to prepare it, because of the speed a witch needed to have in order to successfully prepare it, the potion was difficult for novices to produce.

"Professor Croix?" she hears a familiar voice say from behind her and she turns around to see Professor Finneran staring suspiciously at her.

"Professor Finneran…" Croix says while closing her eyes and cursing the gods for having this woman inside the room.

The one person that disliked her the most.

"Can I ask what you're doing inside the greenhouse so early on a Saturday?"

"I was preparing a potion." she admits because she knows that the woman was eyeing the cauldron.

"It is surprising to see you outside your lab, Professor Croix. In fact, I hope you'll forgive me for saying this, it is startling to see that you have other interests outside your robots and those infernal machines you've been distributing around school."

"Well, I am a witch of many talents and skills." she tries to joke but the older woman continues to analyze her every movement.

"Based on the color of the potion and the smell of it, am I right in suspecting that you're making a forgetting potion?"

Croix nods in confirmation.

"Indeed."

"And why do you have the need for such a potion? Do you plan on using it?" Professor Finneran questions her bluntly.

 _Danger! Danger!_

Taking a look around the room, Croix manages to see Akko running by with the missing materials in her hands. Luckily, the brunette witch seemed to notice that Finneran was inside the room and decided to wait for the inventor to create some sort of distraction.

"In class, I got asked by a student about an specific step in the making of the potion." she says calmly while grabbing Finneran and moving her away from the cauldron to give Akko some space. "Unfortunately, since it has been a long time since I last made the potion myself, I was incapable of answering her. Hence, I decided to do the potion today so that I could respond her question during our next class."

This makes Finneran stare suspiciously at her but still doesn't return her gaze to the cauldron.

Meanwhile, Croix quickly sees Akko run with the frog and leaves towards the Akko.

"But why would a student ask _you_ about a potion? You're the teacher of modern magic, not potions."

 _Shit… Perhaps if I put her to sleep and leave then that would leave things settled._

Making eye-contact with Akko, she focuses her eyes on the cauldron and then on the materials the young girl had on her hand.

Nodding in understanding, Akko immediately throws them inside the mixture and the potion softly switches color.

"Astronomy Tower." she emphasizes on her words and watches Akko nod before running away from the greenhouse.

 _But we did the same with Chariot and she changed the future…_

 _I have to give her the potion, but how?_

"The Astronomy Tower?" it seems that Finneran heard her. "What are you whispering about?"

Knowing that she was going to get caught if she didn't do something extreme and irrational to hide her true intentions from the woman; Croix determined that there was only one thing she could do. Taking a deep breath, she used her wand to clean the cauldron and work-space she used. Once that was done, she placed most of the potion on a container and the rest she drank it.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Professor Finneran asks her confused and sets down her wand to get close to her.

When the older woman lowers her guard, Croix gets on top of her, and with a last look she closes her eyes and kisses her on the lips.

 _I cannot believe I'm doing this…_

Not wanting to think about it, she thanks that the woman in front of her is so shocked by her actions that she immediately opens her mouth. When that happens, Croix lets go of the potion she had been holding inside and hopes that the older woman swallows it.

After a few seconds go by, she separates from Finneran and watches the way the woman is angrily staring at her, her wand shaking because of her anger.

"Professor Croix!" the woman shrieks while raising her wand. "I will kill you!" she says but before that happens the woman falls to the ground because of the potion.

"It worked!" Croix says relieved.

After getting Finneran to sit on a chair, she grabs the remaining potion and runs out of the greenhouse, making sure of being careful enough to not meet with anyone that would question her motives for being around the school and not in her lab.

Once she makes her way to the Astronomy Tower, Croix takes her cellphone out and checks the time. They had five more minutes until Chariot arrived from town and Akko was not there.

 _Could it be that she misunderstood me and went ahead?_

"Croix-Sensei!" Akko screams her name while running to her side. "Did you get it?"

Croix nods in confirmation while taking the potion out.

"I was so worried when I saw Finneran-Sensei there. How did you manage to get away from her?"

This makes Croix stop for a while before nervously moving the potion.

Akko had of course noticed this.

"What happened?" she asks her professor knowingly.

"I may have used the forgetting potion on her to make her forget she saw me there."

"That's good thinking. Although, how did you even get her to drink something made by you?" the brunette witch asks honestly curious.

This makes Croix blush and tremble because of the memory.

"Don't tell me you forced her Croix-Sensei!"

"Of course not!" Croix replies immediately. "Although I didn't exactly like get her consent to give it to her…"

"What did you do?" the brunette witch asks warily.

"I may have kissed her." she whispers but knows Akko heard her when she starts laughing.

"NO WAY!" Akko chokes out while laughing loudly. "You kissed Finneran-Sensei?!" she continues chuckling. "I can't wait to tell Diana this!"

"NO! You cannot tell anyone! Croix admonishes her and almost throws the potion because of her desperation.

"Really?! After everything you've put me through, you won't let me share this, the only funny part of this trip, with my girlfriend?" the brunette witch asks her dangerously.

 _What a manipulative…_

"Fine! But only to Diana!" she makes Akko promise and Akko shakes her hand in confirmation. "Now, I'm done with the potion and it's almost time for Chariot to be here."

"Where should I go?" Akko asks her carefully.

"Stay behind the tower and once I text you come find us. Remember that we also have to worry about your other self waking up and coming to talk to Chariot. Hence, if things between Chariot and I don't progress we'll just have to see…"

"That's not a very solid plan."

"It's the only one we can have. But, you have to make sure that your other self doesn't find you! It's imperative you do so."

"I will be careful." Akko promises her. "Now go Sensei! And good luck!" she gives her a soft smile before pushing her towards the door.

Taking a deep breath, and hoping that Chariot was already there, Croix goes up the stairs and arrives to the blue-haired woman's room. Once she's there, she confidently knocks and only has to wait for a couple of seconds before a familiar voice asks her to wait.

"Coming!" Chariot screams while opening the door but freezes in shock at seeing her. "Croix?"

"Char…iot." she adds at the end so that it doesn't arise suspicion. "Would it be ok for me to come in to talk?"

"Talk?" the blue-haired woman asks her warily. "After all you have done?"

"I know that this may seem a little hard to believe, but I do come here with no ill will towards you or Akko. In fact, all I want is to talk. I promise."

"How can you expect me to believe that?" Chariot whispers sadly.

Croix gives her a sad smile and grabs her hand softly.

"Because you, unlike I, have always been capable of seeing the best in people and giving them second chances. And right now I'm asking you, no, begging you to do so again."

These words make the younger woman stare deeply at her, trying to see any sort of lie and deception in the things she said. So, when Chariot takes her hand away from hers and gives her space to walk in, Croix closes her eyes in relief and is again thankful of having the love and support of a woman like Chariot.

The moment Croix steps in, she sees Alcor greet her and with a warm smile on her face she does the same. It had been a joke they had made a long time ago in an attempt to make Chariot's familiar be a part of the blue-haired woman's act. Hence, Croix spent weeks with him training and teaching him the commands and cues he had to take.

"Seems you haven't forgotten." she chuckles and nuzzles the bird's head teasingly. "Good, because it took me a really long time to teach this to you."

"You're confusing me." Chariot breaks the spell that had been set by Alcor and this makes the lilac-haired woman focus on her friend. "Why are you being this way? Acting like nothing has happened and even talking about the past?"

 _That's right, this Chariot doesn't know that I have accepted the past and have learned to embrace it._

"I can explain all of this." Croix promises her friend surely. "But in order to do that, I will have to ask you to listen to me until the end."

"The Croix I know doesn't look at me the way you're looking at me right now." she chokes out bitterly. "The Croix I know is trying to hurt a little girl because she's being reminded by said girl of our past." she can't help but accuse her and this hurts.

"Char…"

"No! Don't use that name! Not like that." Chariot whispers brokenly. "Why are you torturing me like this, Croix? Making me remember the good memories and times we spent together and making me hesitate in the best way to stop you?"

"I want you to stop me." she promises Chariot surely. "In fact, I beg you to stop me."

This makes Chariot stare deeply at her, analyzing her eyes and her voice.

Croix, who had been doing her best to not move her gaze away, is surprised when the blue-haired witch stands up from her chair and bends in front of her. In fact, she's more surprised when said woman grabs her face tenderly and caresses it, forcing Croix to close her eyes at the sensation.

Once she opens her eyes, she sees Chariot staring at her with bright and happy eyes. As if she could recognize that the woman in front of her was not the same one that had been so desperate to cause her pain.

"You are not the Croix I know." she whispers in complete awe. "You're the Croix I fell in love with all those years ago." she says and Croix can't help but cry at the words being said to her by this woman.

Because, although she knew that Chariot loved her, both of them had agreed to not say these words to each other until they were truly free and capable of being together.

"Why are you crying? Don't cry." Chariot whispers to her tenderly while cleaning her tears softly.

"I'm sorry." she chokes while taking a deep breath. "I just, I was not expecting to hear those words from you so suddenly."

"I apologize." the blue-haired woman smiles softly. "Although I don't regret saying them."

This makes Croix smile brightly.

"But, something tells me that I'm saying them to a Croix that doesn't belong to me." she smiles knowingly at the lilac-haired woman.

"Of course you would realize what was happening." Croix chuckles proudly.

"Well, you did tell me when we were younger that you wanted to travel through time. Although, I was expecting you to know better than to travel to places where you have been."

"Your lack of faith in me is disturbing Char." she jokes and both women chuckle warmly.

"Tell me…" Chariot says seriously to her. "What are you doing here Croix?"

"It was an accident." Croix says simply. "I've been working for the Ministry in developing an artifact that can help the individual wearing it travel through time. Of course, I had no plans of actually making it work or giving it to the Ministry. But, you know me and…"

"You couldn't stop yourself from doing your best and actually making it work." the younger witch smiles softly at her.

"Indeed, although it doesn't work perfectly since in our first trip we landed here. And we wanted to go to the future."

"We?" Chariot asks confused.

"I came with Akko." she says carefully and sees the way Chariot starts to close herself.

"No, wait. In my timeline, things are different. Akko and you succeeded. You broke the seal and returned magic to the world."

"We did?" she whispers carefully.

"Indeed. And, she's still close to you." she doesn't have to be specific for Chariot to realize that the brunette witch knows her secret.

"You mean she forgave me for keeping it a secret?"

"Of course I did Ursula-Sensei." both women hear a familiar voice and see Akko coming inside. "I'm sorry, I kept checking my phone for a message but when none came and people at Luna Nova started to wake up I decided to come."

"That's fine." Croix says to her softly. "We were just talking and getting lost in the past."

"Akko…" Chariot says scared. "You know?"

Akko gets close to her and hugs her tight, making the blue-haired woman sob in relief.

"I still love you very much Ursula-Sensei. You have done so much for me and I understand your need to keep this a secret from me. It will take me some time, but even when it seems like I want to doubt you, I will not be capable of because I know that you're doing all of this for me."

"Akko, thank you." she whispers relieved and that seems to bring her back to their main issue. "But if you two were already here, why tell me about it?"

"Because there was an incident we didn't consider." Croix says carefully. "When you saw Akko and I in town this morning…"

"That was us just arriving from the future." Akko says embarrassed. "Hence, the person you had tea with earlier was me."

"So that's why you seemed so different." Chariot chuckles warmly. "And because I saw you two I imagine I changed your future?"

Both witches nod in confirmation.

"So when you went to the future you realized that it was different."

Again both witches nod.

"It was awful Char! I was in prison!" Croix says insulted and that makes Akko and Chariot laugh.

"And I keep telling her how she finds that so shocking since she technically lives in an evil lair." Akko adds warmly.

"It's a lab!"

"It's an evil lair." Chariot agrees with Akko. "And now you're back because you found out when the past changed and you want to correct it."

"We have to." the brunette witch tells her softly. "Our future, Ursula-Sensei, is so beautiful. We're all together and we're all family. Which is what the four of us wanted and needed."

"The four of us?" the blue-haired woman asks but then gets a knowing wink from Croix. "You mean Diana and you finally got together?!"

"What do you mean finally?!" Akko blushes. "But yes, it happened after we brought magic back and started to grow closer."

"She knows because it's obvious!" Croix exclaims.

"You did go all the way to her manor to bring her back." Chariot reminds her.

"Ok, ok, so perhaps it was that obvious." Akko smiles warmly. "But our future, it may have taken us a while, and at times it's not perfect, but it's a good future that I wish to return to."

"That we wish to return to." Croix says softly to Chariot who is looking away from them.

"Will I have the same? Be as happy with my Crox and Akko as you two seem to be?"

"Yes!" Akko promises her immediately.

"I will work every day to make you happy Char." the lilac-haired woman also promises her and grabs her hands. "And it will take me a while to make it so, but I swear to you that we will be happy."

"I trust you." Chariot smiles warmly at her. "Now give me the potion."

"You knew…"

"I imagined your motives for being here were to make sure no one remembered seeing your presence in the past. And, you were always a good potion-maker."

"You're too clever for your own good Char." she jokes and takes the potion out.

"Goodbye Ursula-Sensei." Akko whispers to her with a warm smile. "See you real soon." she jokes and hugs the older woman. "I will always love you no matter what."

"And I love you too Akko." Chariot says with tears in her eyes before focusing on Croix. "Now, how about you give me that potion."

Nodding in understanding, Croix gets close to the blue-haired woman and softly hands her the potion. Before the younger woman drinks it, she grabs Croix tightly and kisses her desperately on the lips, a kiss that is immediately reciprocated.

"I… I wanted to do that at least once." the blue-haired witch says softly.

"Oh don't worry, you'll get to do it plenty of times." Akko adds from afar.

"AKKO!" both women shriek while blushing embarrassed.

"I will drink that potion now so I can forget she said that." Chariot whispers and drinks the potion quickly.

"You cheeky, little…" Croix says to Akko who smiles and points towards Chariot who is watching the scene with a smile on her face.

"I love you." Chariot says to the older witch who smiles in understanding.

S _he could say the words since she would forget them…_

"I love you too." she whispers to Chariot and sees the blue-haired woman fall asleep with a smile on her face.

"That went well." Akko says happily.

"Indeed." Croix smiles as well. "But seeing and talking to Char like this… It made me miss home."

"So how about we head home then, Sensei?" Akko asks her with an understanding smile and both women disappear in a ray of light.

LWALWALWA

"Are you sure Akko said she would be here?" Ursula asks Diana while walking inside the apartment.

"Yes, she said Professor Croix asked her to come see her." the blonde responds confidently while going over metal and ramen boxes. "This place is a mess."

"Indeed." the red-haired woman agrees with the younger witch. "It's similar to how her room used to be but bigger and dirtier."

"I can't imagine her roommates liking her very much."

"Oh they didn't." she smiles softly. "They admired her and respected her, but when Croix made a mess out of their room they got upset."

"Wouldn't blame them after seeing this mess in the flesh." Diana chuckles but before she can add something else a ray of light appears in the room, leaving behind two very familiar witches.

"Akko!"

"Croix!" the two witches say in shock and are surprised when they're both hugged at the same time.

"Diana!"

"Char!" the two newcomers say as well.

"I missed you so much!" Akko says first to Diana who blushes.

"But we just saw each other a couple of hours ago."

"It felt like forever!" the brunette says and kisses her passionately on the lips.

"What happened?" Ursula asks confused after watching Diana give up and simply respond with her own desperation to her girlfriend's kiss.

"Well…" Croix murmurs to her while also getting close to her face. "Let's just say that Akko and I have experienced an adventure out of this world."

"I don't understand…" she says confused.

"I missed you too, you know…" the lilac-haired woman whispers and is ready to kiss Chariot before a familiar and annoying voice stops her from doing so.

"Are you sure you want to do that so soon?" Akko teases her knowingly. "I mean, I'm sure poor Professor Finneran must still feel the effects of your passionate potion."

"Passionate potion?" Ursula asks confused.

"Akko…" Croix warns her.

"I mean, passionate because of the way you administered it to her. So warm and personal."

"Akko!"

"What are you talking about?" Diana asks as well.

"She had to kiss Professor Finneran on the lips!"

"WHAT?!" both witches exclaim in complete shock.

"When did you even do that?!" Ursula says surprised.

"You promised that you would only tell Diana!" Croix complains to Akko who smiles wickedly at her.

"And you promised that we were going to the future so I guess we both lied!" the brunette replies immediately.

"Croix…" the red-haired starts saying.

"I can explain all of this…" the inventor promises her friend while raising her hands apologetically.

"Then you better start doing so right now." Ursula smiles darkly at her. "In fact, why not start with that kiss…"

 _I will kill Akko…_


	11. The Date

After Croix is made aware of the fact that it's been 10 years since Ursula and her went on a date, the inventor enrolls the help of their two favorite Luna Nova students. And, because it's Croix we're talking about, things don't work exactly as planned.

Notes:

So I heard that this week it's Chariox week! Hence, I'm uploading this long chapter that mostly focus on them with their number 1 shipper and adopted daughters Dianakko!

One-Shot takes place after chapter 5. Akko and Diana are together while Ursula and Croix have also started dating and being in a relationship (Croix doesn't work in the Ministry anymore).

* * *

"So…" Croix says while hugging Chariot from behind. "How long has it been since our last date?"

"Ten years." Ursula chuckles from her chair and turns her face around to kiss the older woman's cheek.

"No way!" she exclaims shocked. "Has it really been that long?

Ursula merely looks at her.

"But we went to town last week!" Croix says surely.

She can even remember the restaurant they went to.

"With Akko and Diana."

 _That's right, those two were there and ate with us._

"And what about when we went potion shopping?"

"Akko and Diana were also there because Akko asked us to help her find a new broom while we were in the shopping district."

"What happened to her old one?" Croix asks confused.

"She broke it when she tried to do a trick and crashed." Ursula says with a soft smile. "In fact, they came with us because you offered to buy her a new one out of guilty for daring her to do the trick in the first place." she reminds her girlfriend.

"You're right!" she closes her eyes embarrassed while turning around so Chariot doesn't see her. "I am a horrible girlfriend."

"No!" Ursula promises her quickly while making her look at her. "You're the best girlfriend I could ever ask for because you care and love the same things I do." she smiles warmly. "And the fact that you unconsciously include Akko and Diana in our plans warms my heart; because you know that they matter to me."

 _But I still suck because I do this all the time,_ Croix thinks bitterly.

"I know what we'll do Char!" the inventor tells her excitedly and kneels so that she's between Chariot's legs. "Tomorrow night, you and I will have a date."

"But… But tomorrow is school night and I have a lot of papers to grade. And, if you want Principal Holbrook to reopen your class then you need to present her a syllabus!"

"The syllabus is done already!" Croix says surely. "And you can grade your papers when we come back." she looks at her girlfriend while using her infallible pout. "Please Char."

"No, I will not succumb to your sad eyes!" Ursula says while closing her own in order to not see her girlfriend.

"Please, please Char. Go on a date with me?" the older woman whispers and it brings back memories of their time as students and how scared she had been of asking Chariot this same question ten years ago.

And, it seems that Chariot also remembered the same thing because she can see the red-haired woman staring warmly at her, clearly reminiscing their past and story.

"This seems like déjà vu." the former performer chuckles while getting close to her and caressing her face.

"Does that mean yes?" the lilac-haired woman smiles when she realizes they're having the same conversation they had ten years ago.

Ursula smiles tenderly after realizing this as well.

"Ask me again, Croix." she repeats the same thing she said in the past.

"Will you go on a date with me, Chariot Du Nord?" Croix whispers the same question she asked all those years ago.

"Only if you go out with me too, Croix Meridies." Ursula gives Croix the same answer she gave her ten years ago.

"It's a date." Croix says with a warm smile and kisses her tenderly on the lips. "Prepare to be swept off your feet!"

She had a date to plan!

LWALWALWA

"Mmmm." Akko moans while hugging Diana close to her. "Diana…" she says while feeling the blonde's lips on top of hers.

"Akko…" the young heiress whispers while moving her hands down the brunette's body.

"Not that I'm complaining…" she says while feeling Diana kissing and biting her neck softly. "But I thought you would be back tomorrow?"

"I missed you too much and decided to come earlier." Diana says and kisses Akko deeply again. "I know that it was only for three days, but I have grown accustomed to having you near me all the time." she adds embarrassed.

This makes Akko give her a bright smile and kiss her happily in return.

"I missed you just as much Diana!" she exclaims and hugs her girlfriend tightly. "And sometimes, it's just a little hard for me to believe that you feel the same for me."

"Why?" Diana asks confused.

"Because you are so beautiful and talented and special." Akko says softly. "While on the other hand I'm…"

"Also beautiful and talented and special." the blonde interrupts her with a warm smile.

"If you say so…" the brunette blushes while looking down in embarrassment.

Things like this, watching Akko blush and be insecure when it came to romance; it made Diana's heart be filled with tenderness and love.

 _I love her so much…_

"I love you Akko." Diana says confidently and sees her girlfriend blushing brightly.

"Diana!" she says embarrassed. "Why say that so suddenly?!"

"Why not?" she chuckles warmly. "It's what I feel. And, I think I don't say it enough if it surprises you to hear it when I do say it. So perhaps I should change that?" she muses out-loud.

This makes Akko look at her with adoration.

"I, I love you too." the brunette whispers loud enough for Diana to hear her clearly. "And, I know that I'm not the best when it comes to saying things like this or expressing myself… But, if you could only feel what I feel when I look at you." she smiles lovingly to her girlfriend. "You make my heart beat so quickly and all I can think of, the person that has invaded my dreams and life, is you."

"Akko…" the blonde says softly while caressing Akko's face tenderly. "You mean everything to me."

"Diana…" the brunette whispers in complete awe. "Kiss me?" she asks and Diana doesn't have to be told twice.

"I love you Akko. I love you." she chants fervently while getting bolder and moving her tongue deeper.

"Stay the night." Akko breathes out while kissing and moving her towards the bed.

"What about Sucy and Lotte?" Diana asks while sitting down next to Akko who was moving her hands over her body.

This makes Akko stop her ministrations and focus on her girlfriend's question.

"Lotte is spending the night with Barbara because of a Nightfall live event while Sucy went with Amanda to get some special mushrooms that only grow in the United States. And, since Amanda speaks English she went as her interpreter."

"I see…" the blonde smiles happily and kisses Akko hungrily, even pushing her downwards and placing herself on top of her. "So that means we have the room to ourselves?" she asks cheekily and smirks when Akko blushes again.

"Don't be such a tease Diana!" the brunette huffs embarrassed but closes her eyes when Diana continues kissing her.

"This…" Diana says while hugging Akko tight and placing her head on the brunette's chest. "Is what true happiness must feel like."

"It must be, right?" Akko whispers to her while caressing her hair. "I'm lucky." she smiles warmly and sees Diana moving her head up so she can look at her. "Because you love me and I love you too."

"I'm the lucky one." she says with a soft blush.

Even after hearing Akko compliment her very much, she ha still not grown accustomed to her charm.

"Ai shiteru yo, Atsuko Kagari." Diana says surely.

"And I love you, Diana Cavendish." the brunette replies confidently and is ready to close the distance between them when the door to her room bursts open.

"AKKO! I NEED YOU!" both girls turn away from each other and see Croix standing right next to their bed with a soft blush on her face. "Ohh hi Diana, welcome back."

"Welcome back?" Akko asks from below Diana who is hiding her face in her neck. "Is that really all you have to say Croix-Sensei?"

"Well, although I'm sorry I happened to interrupt you while you were getting busy…" she says nonchalantly and the brunette feels Diana hiding her face deeper. "I'm not that sorry because I happen to need you and you two happen to owe me a favor. In fact, it's quite convenient that you two are here."

"We owe you?" this makes Akko place Diana on the bed so she can stand up. "For what?"

"For coming to my dates with Chariot." Croix says simply.

"Your dates with Char…" the brunette is struggling to follow the conversation.

"You mean those get togethers in town were dates?" Diana also stands up from the bed. "And you didn't consider them that during the actual date and after inviting us to tag along?"

This makes Croix blush and look down in embarrassment.

Akko notices this and chuckles evilly.

"Oh, I see!" she smirks. "So you're here because you just noticed that it's been forever since you took Ursula-Sensei out."

"And…" Diana adds while smiling as well. "You came because you want us to help you plan your date, right? Since it's been so long since you've been in one."

"In fact, it always surprised me how dressed-up and nice Ursula-Sensei looked when we went out."

Croix closes her eyes and starts feeling very guilty.

 _These cheeky little…_

"Ok, I apologize for interrupting you." Croix murmurs while looking at the floor. "And you're right about the fact that I just noticed that I'm a terrible girlfriend."

Akko feels pity for the older woman and decides to stop teasing her.

"I don't think Ursula-Sensei believes that."

"But that's because Char is amazing and so understanding!" the lilac-haired woman says softly.

"And is it ok to assume that you already asked Ursula-Sensei on a date to correct things, right?" Diana asks while going to make some tea for the three of them since the plans she had with Akko had been abruptly interrupted and there was no way they would get back to them soon.

Not if Professor Croix was here asking for help.

"Yes, right after she made me realize what I had been doing." Croix says embarrassed. "Which is why I came here to ask for your help Akko. I mean, although I tend to joke about your plans; while they seem outrageous and ridiculous they always happen to work out."

"Again, it would work in your favor if you started to compliment me." Akko huffs in fake annoyance while helping Diana to distribute the tea. "But I do get what you mean."

"Do you have an idea of what you want to do for your date?" the blonde heiress asks after sitting down and taking a sip of her cup.

"I want it to be something very romantic. You know, something that would make it up to her for all those times she thought we were going on a date but never did."

"Ursula-Sensei is a very sensible person." Akko says softly. "She takes great joy in the details and perhaps a date that reminded her of your time when you were students at Luna Nova would make it be unique."

"Well, your time together before the Shiny Rod appeared." Diana adds as well.

"That could work." Croix says because that had just happened a couple of minutes ago. "But I don't want to make it all about the past. Specially since we both believe that the way forward for us is not in the past but in our present."

"Then be spontaneous!" Akko exclaims while standing up and not throwing her tea because Diana knowingly placed a spell on the cup. "Don't overthink things and just have fun!"

"Just have fun?"

"Go on an adventure! There are so many places outside Luna Nova that you can explore and I'm sure Ursula-Sensei is missing the old days when she didn't have to worry about appearances."

W _orry about appearances…_

 _Akko is right!_

Croix knew how much her girlfriend missed her time as Shiny Chariot. In fact, after she came back from the future, the inventor started to believe that although the events had been different, the dreams and actions that motivated these changes were not. Which meant that the future where Chariot performed with Akko could possibly be one of her girlfriend's current dreams.

 _And she was going to help make all of Chariot's dreams come true!_

"I think I got the perfect plan." Croix smiles happily at them. "But I will really need your help."

"For Ursula-Sensei and you anything." Akko promises her quickly.

"Indeed." Diana smiles softly. "But, of course this means you owe us one."

"What, but why? You just said that you would do anything for us."

"And we will." the blonde smirks evilly. "But you will be owing us one for interrupting us earlier." she says darkly and Croix notices Akko blush brightly.

 _Kinky Diana…_

LWALWALWA

Nervously walking outside her girlfriend's room, Croix can't help but get anxious for today's date. But then again she shouldn't be because it was with Chariot and they had done this years ago!

So why was she nervous then?

Croix knew that it had to do with the fact that their love had changed. Because of what they went through and the many years apart; their innocent and naïve relationship had transformed to something completely different. The older woman could feel it in the way they held each other, sometimes too scared of letting go and watching the other leave. Their longing, their desire, it had become desperate and restless. And Croix believed in her heart that happened because they broke their promise to each once before.

To be together forever.

Taking a deep breath and letting go, the lilac-haired woman carefully walks to the front door and knocks softly on it, memorizing all the things she had said to Akko and Diana concerning their plan.

Nevertheless, Croix forgot all of it the moment Chariot opened the door and the inventor knew that she had never seen something quite as beautiful as the red-haired woman standing in front of her.

"Char…" she whispers in complete awe while grabbing the woman's hand and kissing it softly. "You look spectacular."

This makes Ursula blush profusely and smile in return.

"You look beautiful as well Croix." she says warmly while taking her hand. "I'm really excited about today."

"So am I!" Croix says happily. "And I promise you that we will have a great time." the older woman uses her magic to produce two robots that could take them to the Leyline.

"I could have gotten my broom you know…" Ursula teases her friend softly.

"No, this is a date and in a date the person that was asked out doesn't drive or do anything except have fun." she argues confidently.

This makes Ursula laugh heartily.

"When I see you like this…" she squeezes the lilac-haired woman's hand tenderly. "It's as if you haven't changed at all."

"Well you're the one that truly hasn't changed at all." Croix helps Chariot get on top of the robot. "Because you're still as kind and as beautiful as when I first fell for you all those years ago."

Ursula blushes brightly but gets close enough to kiss her lightly on the lips.

"Char!" the older woman blushes as well. "Kissing is supposed to be at the end of the date!"

This makes the red-haired woman laugh again.

"Then I guess that since we seemed to get that out of the way…" Ursula caresses her girlfriend's face lovingly. "If you play your cards right we could do something else after the date…" she suggests cheekily and this makes Croix gulp loudly.

 _Chariot was on fire and she loved it!_

"Mhmh, Mhmh…" she clears her throat trying to regain the ability to function like a human being. "Cheeky!" she says happily and sits on the other robot. "Don't distract me and let me take you out."

"Ok, ok, I promise I'll behave." Ursula raises her hand in a sign of mock surrender and Croix uses her magic to order the robots to fly.

LWALWALWA

"Diana!" Akko huffs while using her magic to carry some fences. "Why did we agree to do this?!"

"Because we love Professor Ursula and know Professor Croix's plans tend to fail." the blonde witch says sassily while helping Akko with her load.

"Well, she did manage to get you all jealous and confess your feelings to me." the brunette reminds her cheekily and this makes Diana blush.

"That was mostly Andrew being his usual annoying self." Diana murmurs because she could still not forgive the man for confessing to her girlfriend.

"He's a good friend." Akko gets close to her after deactivating her magic. "And, there's no way he could ever compete or get close to you." she purrs and bites Diana's ear teasingly.

"Akko!" Diana shrieks and tries to separate from Akko who holds her tight and continues kissing her. "Right now we can't! Professor Ursula and Professor Croix are on their way."

"I don't care." the brunette girl says simply and turns Diana around to face her. "I just want to kiss you."

"But I don't…" the blonde is interrupted by her girlfriend's lips on top of hers and feels all her common sense and inhibitions disappear.

An effect pretty similar to the one of the Clawlefill.

Taking a quick look around her and seeing the name of the field where Croix suggested them to put the stage, Diana closes her eyes and curses their professor for not realizing the effects that the plants of this field had on witches.

Specially to witches who were in love and with their significant other.

 _Oh no…_ is the last thing Diana thinks before losing control of herself and returning Akko's kisses with the same desperation and passion her girlfriend had been giving her.

LWALWALWA

"I had never been to that restaurant!" Ursula says excited after exiting the establishment. "And the food, it was incredible."

"During my time in town I happened to walk a lot around it." Croix jokes lightly. "And this place was always one of my favorites. Funny enough, not many people know about it but their food is one of the best."

"Indeed." the red-haired woman smiles and grabs her girlfriend's hand. "I really enjoyed it. Thank you, Croix."

"What do you mean? Are you saying that because you think the date is over?" the older woman chuckles knowingly.

"Well, it is getting late and we have to return to Luna Nova."

"This is only the first part of our date!" Croix exclaims excitedly. "Now, if you may, we will go ahead to the location of our second stop."

"Second stop?" Ursula asks surprised.

"Well, when I was in the future, I saw something that made me think a lot about our past and present." she admits softly. "Remember I told you that in the future you performed a magic show with Akko?"

"Yes...?" the professor says confused.

"Well, it made me wonder if that future was something you dreamed of? Because you really loved the stage and to perform. And I know that I was responsible for making you hide your true self." Croix whispers this part. "Which I guess is what that future made me think of. Of the possibility that that part of your past was still there and a dream of yours."

Chariot stares at her with a sad smile.

"It would be a lie if I told you that deep inside of me there isn't a part that dreams of performing again." she chuckles softly. "Because I really loved it. The way people smiled and dreamed when they saw me perform. But what happened to me, at first wasn't your fault. My magic, it wasn't enough to keep people happy. They wanted more and more from me and that led me to truly despise myself for not being capable of meeting their demands."

"Char…"

"But performing with Akko, that would be something truly special. And not because of the act meaning that I'm back in the stage. Instead, it would be because of the fact that Akko and I first met when I performed. She first saw me on a stage, and to be with her years later on that same stage… It would be like the true culmination of my mission and my dream." Ursula says deeply.

"To make people happy with your magic." Croix smiles softly at the woman in front of her and makes her robot get closer so that they can hold hands.

Although she had planned something a little different with Akko and Diana, she knew that performing with Akko in that stage was what Chariot truly needed in order to completely heal from the wounds of their past.

Smiling softly, she directs the two of them towards the field where Akko and Diana had been preparing the stage. In fact, she can see that it's ready and that makes the lilac-haired woman smile brightly at her girlfriend who is looking at the scene with surprise.

"Croix… Is that?"

"Yes! A full stage set for your return to the scenarios!" she exclaims while pointing towards the lights.

"But how…" Ursula asks confused.

"Akko and Diana. I asked them to help me and they did this." Croix says proudly because the stage looked spectacular.

 _Thank you gir…_ she thinks but stops herself when she sees two bodies on the floor.

 _They can't be…_

"What… What is that?" the red-haired woman asks from her robot and uses her magic to enhance her legs and jump from the machine.

"Akko?! Diana?!" Croix yells and uses her magic to take her robot down as fast possible.

Of course, since Chariot jumped from it, she's the first one to arrive. Hence, Croix is surprised when she sees the red-haired woman merely standing in front of the two girls and not doing anything to help them.

"Char! Are they alright?!" she yells while running to where the three people she most cared about were.

Instead of answering, Ursula merely stays silent and can't help but blush at the sight in front of her.

"Why are you not helping them mo… Ohh!" Croix exclaims and also blushes when she sees Akko and Diana heavily making out in the middle of the grass.

"This is embarrassing." Ursula murmurs while doing her best to look away but blushing even more when her eyes can't stop themselves from returning to the two girls on the floor.

 _These girls!_ Croix thinks while thinking of the failed second part of her date.

 _I will kill them!_

"Oi Akko, Diana!" she exclaims while bending down and doing her best to separate them. "Stop that! You're in the middle of the field and we're here as well!"

Instead of answering or even noticing her, the two girls merely return to their previous position and restart their kissing.

"Hey! This is no time to jok…"

"Wait, something's not right." Ursula stops her from trying to separate them again. "Look at their eyes…" she points towards the girls' eye balls and they see that they're almost black.

"What the hell is that?" Croix asks worriedly. "Have they been cursed?"

 _Although she wouldn't mind being cursed with the same thing as long as Chariot was the one kissing her…_

"Yes, but not by a person." Ursula smells around them. "This field…" she murmurs. "Where is it?"

"Near Arcturus." the lilac-haired woman replies simply. "Why?"

"Because there's a field near Arcturus that carries some plants that have aphrodisiac effects."

This makes Croix open her eyes in shock.

"So you mean they're acting this way because of the plant." she blushes embarrassedly. "And I told them to come here."

This makes Ursula huff softly.

"Now that's just irresponsible. You're supposed to be an apothecary and to know your plants Croix!"

"Well, I never studied those kinds of plants because I didn't need them!" Croix responds childishly. "Can we fix this or must we wait for the effect to pass?"

"The effect won't pass until we give them an antidote." the professor says softly. "One that comes from another plant inside Arcturus."

"Then let's go there right now." she says simply and looks again at the two girls who are still heavily making out. "What about them?"

"We take them of course! We can't just leave them here and expect no one happens to come through this field." Ursula says embarrassed.

"How do we even get them to stop kissing?"

"I will separate them and the moment I hold one of them you go ahead and use your magic to tie the other." she replies confidently.

"Alright!" Croix prepares her wand and points it at Diana. "Now!" she exclaims and Chariot separates the two girls.

When that happens, Croix focuses all her attention on Diana and hits her with her tying spell precisely on her chest.

"Yes!" she exclaims happily and turns around. "Did you see…" she stops speaking when she sees Akko trying to kiss Chariot desperately.

"Stop her!" Ursula says to Croix while using most of her strength to push Akko out of the way.

Lucky enough, Croix was very good at shooting and she didn't miss Akko.

"Nice shoot!" the lilac-haired woman says excitedly while watching the two girls tied up nicely. "Now, let's get this over with before someone believes we're abducting these children."

"Indeed." Ursula says relieved and uses her own magic to levitate the girls. "Luckily this field has a direct Leyline that connects it to Arcturus."

"The plant we're looking for…" Croix asks after placing the girls on the robots so that they could rest. "How is it?"

"A white flower with a pink center." Ursula tells her simply. "We won't miss it since it's quite unique."

"Good." she whispers and looks at the two girls who were comforted by having each other close. "This is all my fault."

"Croix…"

"I mean look at what happened because of me. Of not being responsible enough." she chuckles bitterly. "And I naively want to teach a whole class."

"This is not the same and you know it." the red-haired woman tells her softly. "Akko and Diana, we no longer see them as students. To us they're more than that and that's ok."

"I…" she closes her eyes. "I really love them Char."

"So do I." she smiles warmly. "And there's nothing wrong about feeling that way. But it also means that we will act differently with them. Treat them more like our daughters than our students."

"I guess you're right."

"And you know parents... They tend to make lots of mistakes and not get it right on the first try." Ursula chuckles warmly. "So let's consider this situation as your first one."

"Chariot…" Croix whispers and looks down in embarrassment. "Thank you for making me feel better."

"Oh don't thank me yet. Those two will be extremely mad at you and you'll owe them for all of this."

"I know." she smiles softly. "Wouldn't be them if they didn't ask for anything as consolation." she says and both women stop moving when they hear big steps heading their way.

"That…" Ursula closes her eyes to try to smell and hear the animal. "Is the guardian of the flower we need."

"How does it even know that we're here?!" Croix exclaims surprised while taking out her wand.

"He can smell the aphrodisiac on them." she points towards Diana and Akko who were silently staring at the scene in front of them.

"Do you have a plan?"

"Yes, one of us will be the bait while the other runs to its cave and grabs the flower." Chariot tells her calmly.

"Yes, good plan, a bai… No! Horrible plan! Who will be the bait?!"

"You will have to be since I know how the flower looks like and where it is."

"But Char!" Croix complains.

"No buts! You go ahead and be the bait!" Ursula orders her and Croix nods in acceptance before watching the creature appear in front of them.

"Is that a…"

"Yes, a giant bat." the professor informs her calmly and uses a light spell to temporarily blind the creature. "Now go!" she tells Croix who quickly produces some drones and starts firing the horrible animal with magic.

 _I hate bats!_ Croix thinks and moves out of the way when a wing of the flying animal almost hits her.

"Shit!" she screams and uses her magic to move Akko and Diana towards safety. "Here, I'm here!" she hits the bat with a spell and it immediately runs after her.

"Move it Chariot!" Croix screams while running away from the bat and using her drones to shoot rays of lights to its eyes. "Why does this always happen to me?!" she exclaims when the creature hits her from behind.

"I'm back!" Ursula screams and uses her enhancement spell to hit the bat on its face.

"Chariot!" Croix exclaims relieved and takes out her transportable cauldron. "Give me the ingredients!" she asks and the red-haired woman pours them all inside.

"Keep moving it clockwise until I tell you to stop!" the professor tells Croix who nods in agreement and watches her girlfriend fight the awful bat.

"Now counterclockwise!" she yells and the lilac-haired woman does as said.

"Now give it to the girls!" Chariot orders her and Croix immediately opens the girls' mouths with magic and makes them sip the antidote quickly.

"Ok, now the final part!" the red-haired woman exclaims and uses more strength on her leg to completely throw the bat away. "In order for the antidote to work, we need to make the girls experience true heartbreak."

"What?!" Croix asks confused. "How do you even want to do that?!" she exclaims and freezes when she sees Chariot determinedly walk towards Akko and kiss her soundly on the lips.

 _Whaaaat…_

"Akko!" Ursula is trying to separate from Akko who is surprisingly just as strong as she is with her enhanced magic and is not letting her go. "Please stop! It's Ur…" she can't finish saying because the brunette is kissing her again.

And, to her greatest sorrow, Ursula can't help but think that Akko is a very good kisser.

She was going to be traumatized for a long time.

"Help Croix!" she asks her girlfriend who, with Diana, are frozen at the scene happening in front of them.

"How?!" Croix asks confused and this makes Ursula groan in desperation.

"See Diana and how sad and heartbroken she looks? We must make Akko feel the same for the curse to break!"

"Ok!" she replies but then truly thinks of what she must do. "OHHHH!"

"Now do it!" Ursula exclaims and notices that Akko stops struggling and trying to kiss her when she sees Diana being kissed by Croix.

This, in return makes Akko stare desperately at the scene in front of them and for her arms to sag down.

Meanwhile, Croix was doing her best to not think of how good of a kisser Diana was.

 _Seriously I can get why those two are always kissing!_

Separating when she feels the girl in her arms not moving, Croix takes a look at her own girlfriend and sees her holding a crying Akko, who was stuttering about being abandoned and replaced by a cougar.

"A cougar?!" she shrieks and is going to get Akko for that when they hear a scream coming their way.

This, somehow, is what makes the two girls truly wake up from their curse.

"What?!" Akko screams and frantically looks around her to see where she is. "Where am I? Diana? Where is she?!" she asks desperately while trying to move.

"She's with Croix." Ursula responds her soothingly and this relaxes the brunette girl.

"Ursula-Sensei?" she asks confused. "What are you doing here? And by here I mean in Arcturus forest?"

"Akko?! Akko!" they hear Diana scream while running towards them and hugging her girlfriend tightly. "I was so worried when I saw you were gone!"

"What happened to us?" Akko asks all the people surrounding her.

"We were placed under a curse." Diana says and this makes the two older women think that the blonde witch remembered everything that had happened to them and between them. "After realizing this I too fell under the curse and I can't remember anything else."

"You too?" she asks Ursula and Croix who blush softly.

"We still had time before the curse affected us. Specially since you were in the field for way longer than us." Ursula explains calmly to them. "And the fact that you don't remember is the effect of the antidote."

Before the two girls can ask them more questions, the same awful scream that had woken the young witches from the curse can be heard even closer.

"It must be the giant bat that came back." the red-haired witch says simply.

"A GIANT BAT!" Diana shrieks and hides behind Akko. "I hate bats."

"Isn't that right?! They're just awful." Croix agrees with the blonde.

"I don't mind them." Akko replies simply. "How can we get away?"

"According to legend, once the curse is broken, the guardian of the flower asks for a payment. It can be anything that the bat may find enjoyable."

"So we give it blood."

"HELL NO!" Diana and Croix scream.

"This bat is not like the ones from the stories you grew up hearing Akko." Ursula smiles warmly at her favorite student. "It merely has to be something flashy and catchy."

 _Something flashy and catchy…_

"I know!" Akko says happily. "We should take the bat back with us to the stage and you should perform Sensei!"

"That's a great idea!" Croix says immediately thinking that they could still save this date.

"It's a terrible idea!" Ursula says immediately. "What if it gets away from us once we lead it out of Arcturus."

"Well, it is technically possible to take the creature there since Arcturus is connected directly to the Leyline of the field." Diana murmurs out-loud wanting to support her girlfriend.

"And about it running away, you don't have to worry about that since Diana and I will be keeping watch!" Croix says quickly.

"But I can help you…" Akko starts saying.

"No." the lilac-haired woman smiles softly. "This…" she points at Chariot. "Has always been your dream Akko. To perform with your idol and hero." she then looks at her girlfriend. "And a little bird told me that Chariot is also dying to perform with you."

This makes Akko stare at her mentor with big eyes.

"Really?" Akko asks the red-haired woman softly.

"Of course!" Ursula replies immediately. "The two of us met because of the stage. And, performing with you would be a dream come true Akko." she extends her hand towards the younger witch while giving her an encouraging smile. "Will you come help me fulfill my dream?"

"Yes Sensei!" she exclaims happily and sees Diana smiling brightly at the two of them and giving her a thumbs up.

"We will make sure the bat doesn't escape." she promises her girlfriend. "You just go out there and have fun!"

"Thank you Diana!" Akko says happily and uses her wand to put her costume on.

Chuckling at the preparation of her student, Ursula does the same and now both of them are wearing performance costumes on.

"I had never realized that Professor Ursula was this hot as Shiny Chariot…" Diana murmurs next to Croix who merely chuckles knowingly.

"Your girlfriend doesn't look bad either." she points towards Akko who is waving at them from her broom with Ursula behind her.

"She's the hottest." the blonde says simply. "But I have seen her wearing that sometimes now."

This makes Croix raise her eyebrows knowingly.

"Really?" she teases the younger girl. "And when has that happened?" she smirks when she sees Diana blushing brightly.

Nevertheless, before the young heiress can answer her, they see the bat coming from the woods.

"Quickly, use a light spell to create a bubble!" she instructs Diana who quickly does as asked and with her robots she takes them up towards the stage.

"Good, it's following us." Diana says but then remembers what is following them and closes her eyes in disgust. "I truly hate bats."

"The things we do for the people we love…" Croix murmurs with a warm smile and squeezes the blonde's hand confidently. "Now let's go! We're almost there."

LWALWALWA

Softly landing on top of the stage, it takes Akko a couple of seconds to realize what was going to happen. She was going to perform with her hero! With her idol and the witch she had looked up to during her whole life.

And, although Akko was usually not nervous when it came to performing, right now she felt her wand shaking because of the despair inside of her. She wanted to make Ursula proud and she wanted to show her how much she had grown. She wanted to show to the first person that had believed in her that her trust had been well placed.

And, she wanted to show Ursula that her past was beautiful and had inspired many people and girls like her to make their dreams come true.

Because that was something Ursula-Sensei had forgotten through the years.

"Akko…" she hears a soft voice calling her. "Are you nervous?"

Akko nods.

"Don't be. I know you're more than capable."

"But what will we perform? I mean I know all the steps to the numbers of your shows but I wanted this to be really special and unique…" she murmurs dejectedly.

"How about the Star Dance?" Ursula smiles brightly at her.

"The Star Dance?" Akko asks confused.

She had never heard or seen Shiny Chariot perform that one.

"It's a special dance." the red-haired woman tells her with a warm smile. "That was taught to me by the Shiny Rod many years ago."

This makes Akko realize what her mentor was saying.

"And it taught me as well through your memories." she blushes when she admits she had seen her mentor dance with Croix-Sensei.

"Don't be ashamed Akko!" Ursula smiles warmly at her. "I'm happy that there are no secrets between us."

"Thank you Sensei." she blushes softly. "So you know the dance as well?"

"Indeed." she gives Akko a knowing smile. "And, I believe that you know Croix's part in the dance, correct?"

This makes Akko blush even harder than before.

"Diana did ask me to teach her how to do enhancing magic…" she explains and Akko smiles softly.

"Of course." the brunette remembers and before she can add something else they hear a scream heading their way. "Seems that they're here." she smirks when she sees Croix and Diana flying their way.

"Are you ready?!" they both hear Croix scream at them and Ursula gives them a signal with her wand.

She then turns to look at Akko with a bright smile.

"Are you ready?" she asks her student who smiles brightly while taking her hand.

"Ready!" she promises and is immediately thrown up by the older woman.

Moving in complete synchronization with each other, Akko is smiling happily while using her magic to create fireworks and animals around them. Down below, Ursula is using her enhancing magic to hold the brunette witch and move her around the field while keeping the two of them in balance. The dance in itself was meant to bring closer the two souls of the dancers, and, in their case, it was making their bond become even deeper than before.

Meanwhile, Croix and Diana were watching the performance from afar while keeping the bat focused on their girlfriends. Both of them were admiring the trust and connection student and mentor had with each other and couldn't stop themselves from smiling warmly at the scene in front of them

"I remember when I first did that dance with Chariot." Croix tells Diana while using her magic to create a light path. "It was truly magical."

"It feels that you're getting closer to the other person without invading their space or their self. Like you willingly become a part of them and they become a part of you." Diana says and uses the same spell Croix had used. "It was a good idea you had, Professor Croix." she compliments the woman.

"Well, both Chariot and Akko needed this for closure." the lilac-haired woman says softly. "To perhaps put an end to their dream of performing with each other and using their magic show to make people happy."

"Akko told me that in the future you both saw, she performed magic with Professor Ursula. Why couldn't they do this now?"

"Perhaps they don't need to." Croix smiles softly. "And perhaps they found something that made them happier than performing."

This makes Diana smile brightly.

"Then let's keep that bat focused on them because the second part of the dance is about to begin."

Closing her eyes at the feeling of the air around her and the music that was pouring out of her own wand, Akko remembers all those years ago when she dreamed of having this moment. Of being on stage with Shiny Chariot and performing with her. And right now she was living said dream. But it had turned out to be even better than what she could have possibly imagined because her idol had chosen her.

Had believed in her and loved her even with all her flaws and mistakes.

Smirking at the second part of the dance that was a mock duel, Akko gets into position and chuckles when Ursula does the same with a cheeky smile on her face.

"Now Akko, why the sudden smile?"

"I'm just really happy Sensei." she admits confidently.

"As I am." the older woman looks to the main stage. "Look, there's the bat watching us." she points towards the center and indeed there was the animal.

"It's watching our every move." Akko says surprised.

"If it hasn't attacked yet then that means it's enjoying our performance." she laughs and gets close to Akko who is surprised by the move but allows it. "Now Akko, do you trust me?" she asks warmly.

"With my life." Akko responds immediately.

"Then let's close this performance with a bang." Ursula says confidently and uses her magic to make Akko fly high above the sky. "Now just let go and trust me!" she yells to the brunette who somehow relaxes and puts her wand away.

Smiling and doing a spell to transform herself, Ursula becomes a bird and carefully grabs Akko on her back.

"WOW!" Akko screeches while staring at the scene below her. "This, you became a phoenix!"

"It's the one spell that took me the longest to learn." the red-haired woman tells her proudly. "It took me almost a decade to master it."

"It's beautiful. You are beautiful Sensei." the brunette witch takes out her wand and creates fireworks to surround them.

Smiling and knowing that there was nothing else they could do, both witches land on the ground and lay to rest, realizing once the performance was over how exhausted they were.

It doesn't take long for their girlfriends to find them.

"It left!" Croix tells them while getting down from her robot and hugging Chariot tightly. "You were incredible."

"Thank you Croix. For everything." the red-haired woman whispers happily.

"And Akko, your magic was beautiful as well." she chuckles while watching the brunette girl getting hugged by a worried Diana. "She almost had a heart attack when Char threw you up."

"That wasn't a part of the original performance!" Diana defends herself with a soft blush. "Of course I was worried."

"It was our personal way of closing things." Ursula smiles softly at all of them. "Our Star Dance had to be the different to the one we do with our significant one." she reminds them of the last part which is a kiss.

"Well, I'm sure that after everything that has happened today…" Croix starts saying.

"Don't even finish!" the professor warns her girlfriend immediately.

"What do you mean after what happened?" Akko and Diana ask confused.

"Let's just say that Char and I finally get why you two like to kiss so much."

"WHAT?!"

"CROIX!" Ursula admonishes while blushing.

"I knew it." Diana closes her eyes embarrassed.

"Know what?" Akko asks again.

"That we must have been kissing and doing other stuff when Professor Croix and Ursula found us."

This makes Akko blush just as much as Ursula.

"Well… That's…" she tries to find a way to explain things.

"Although that's not…" Croix is stopped by Ursula who places her hand on her mouth. "Fine, fine!"

"You're so immature." Ursula says while taking her hand off.

"But you love me because of that."

"I do." she admits warmly. "And, even if this date turned out to be way differently than what I expected, it was the best one I've ever had."

"Really?!" Croix asks happily. "Then does that mean that we'll get to spend even more time together after we return to the school? To do other things?"

This makes the two young witches stare at them knowingly.

"Ecchi Croix-Sensei." Akko says softly.

"Pervert." Diana adds as well.

"What do you even mean?!" Croix screams at the two of them before trying to hit them with a spell. "Now come back here!"

"You owe us for helping you plan all of this!" Akko says while running away from the older woman.

"Specially since we were both cursed because of you!"

"Oh, you were cursed alright!" the lilac-haired woman teases them again but is stopped by Ursula who is ready to hit her with her broom.

"Croix..."

"Ok, ok, I'll stop!" she promises to the delightful sound of Akko and Diana's laughter.

 _This,_ Ursula thinks while watching her girlfriend and the two young girls chuckling and mocking each other, _is what life is supposed to be like…_


	12. Freaky Luna Nova

Akko and Croix have fights with their girlfriends. Unfortunately, something 'freaky' happens to them once they go back to sleep...  
This takes place after chapter 11. The four witches are at Luna Nova.

Notes:

So I'm back! I just moved to my new city and school starts tomorrow! I'm excited but that also means that I may not be updating as fast as I used to. But don't worry! This little One-Shot has a part 2 that is coming out soon!

* * *

Croix was soooo bored.

In fact, more than bored she was annoyed. Annoyed at the fact that she was currently laying in bed while her girlfriend was sitting in her desk grading some tests.

Doing this when they were supposed to be preparing for their date!

In fact, she had been looking forward to their date because she had a gift for Chariot. It was nothing very fancy; in fact she bought it in a market a couple of miles away from Luna Nova. But to her it was evidence of her devotion to Chariot and of their relationship growing and getting better.

Besides, today was their anniversary and she had planned a wonderful date in accordance to the occasion.

A date that would give her the perfect opportunity to present her gift to Chariot…

A date that was now ruined…

Groaning in annoyance, Croix takes out said gift and starts to look at it, smiling softly at the familiar color that reflected off it.

A beautiful, shiny and powerful red.

"What are you doing Croix?" she hears Chariot ask her from her desk.

"Nothing!" Croix immediately replies while putting the box away.

"Are you excited?" her girlfriend asks her happily.

"Excited?" she replies confused.

"Your first Magitronics class will be tomorrow."

 _Oh, that's right!_ Tomorrow she was going to start teaching again.

And she had completely forgotten about it because of the date.

"Yes! Of course I'm fine!" Croix tries to laugh nonchalantly. "In fact, I'm about to go out for a while."

This makes Ursula turn around and look suspiciously at her.

"Are you up to something, Croix?" she asks knowingly and this makes the lilac-haired woman gulp.

"Of course not!" she immediately defends herself. "I just wanted to go for a walk since you're not paying any attention to me."

Ursula smiles sadly at her.

"I know I promised that we would go out today, but Professor Finneran literally just gave me all of these late assignments."

"She probably did it because she knew that we had plans tonight." Croix murmurs darkly.

And she was right; Professor Finneran _did_ hear Akko and Diana talk about their study date and she had incorrectly assumed that the date was in town and that two older witches would be going along with them as usual.

"Nevertheless, I still have to do these tonight if I want to have them ready for tomorrow." Ursula apologizes.

"I understand." Croix says softly. "I just don't like it." she pouts while walking towards her girlfriend's desk and turning her chair around.

"Croix…" Ursula warns her when she feels the older woman sitting down on her legs.

"I know." she promises but still kisses the red-haired woman soundly on the lips.

"If you keep…" she moans. "Kissing me like that…" she continues saying. "Then I won't get anything done."

"And is that such a bad thing?" Croix asks her with a devilishly smile.

 _No, it wouldn't be…_ Ursula thinks and barely manages to not say so out-loud when her girlfriend kisses her again.

"You are trying to distract me." she says softly while doing her best to create some space between them. "And I want to let you. But I can't. I have to do this."

"Why do that?" the lilac-haired woman points at the huge pile of paperwork in her desk. "When you can do me." she winks at her and this makes Ursula blush brightly.

"Croix!" the professor pushes the laughing inventor off her and turns back around. "I was having a very serious conversation with you."

"I'm just so frustrated Char!" she groans defeated. "Why not make out if we can't go out?"

"Because I have to do this right now." Ursula repeats.

"You have become so boring…" Croix says and regrets it immediately after seeing her girlfriend flinch and turn back to her paperwork.

"Chariot?" she chuckles while trying to get Chariot to see her. "Come on, Chariot! Don't be like that. I was just joking."

No answer from Ursula.

"I'm sorry Char, I didn't mean to say that. But I just remembered that when you were younger you didn't care about deadlines or papers."

Still Ursula doesn't respond.

"Or is this about the 'do me' joke? Because I was messing with you. Well, I really wasn't because that's how I envisioned the night ending." Croix confesses nonchalantly. "But I am sorry that me saying it out-loud embarrassed you."

Ursula doesn't answer her and simply continues correcting the papers.

"Char?" Croix asks again and huffs in annoyance when her girlfriend doesn't pay attention to her. "Ok, fine! I'll go." she gets her stuff and leaves their room, making sure to grab the box she had been preparing before their silly fight started.

LWALWALWA

"Akko! For the last time, stop dancing and come study!" Diana tells her firmly.

"But Diana!" the brunette witch complains while using her magic to move around the grass. "Studying is boring."

"Studying is necessary if you want to get good grades." the blonde heiress tells her simply while closing her book. "Besides, you were the one that asked me to help you because you were worried about not getting a good grade on your midterm."

"Yeah, but then I remembered that the midterm is Magic History and I immediately regretted it. We could be doing so many other things instead of this." she bats her eyes devilishly and this makes Diana blush.

"You and your depraved mind." Diana huffs while trying to hide the fact that she was embarrassed.

"But you like those things!" Akko chuckles knowingly. "In fact, I have the evidence that proves it!" she says while taking off her sweater and unbuttoning her shirt.

"No, wait!" the blonde stops her from showing the purple bruise she had given her girlfriend last night. "Are you insane, Akko?!"

"But I'm bored!" the brunette pouts and sits back on the grass. "Come on Diana, let's do something fun."

"We can't have fun all the time Akko." Diana reminds her calmly. "And, just because you're bored that doesn't mean that you have to take your clothes off where anyone can see you." she huffs bored.

"Does believing that others may be watching me make you jealous Diana?" Akko says while smirking.

"It is not about being jealous or not. It is the fact of where you are and how your actions can affect others."

"But I'm the one stripping."

This makes Diana blush brightly again.

And of course Akko notices this.

"Do you want me to strip for you Diana?" Akko asks her seductively.

"St... stri… str… strip?!" the blonde manages to choke out. "Here, where everyone can see? What is the matter with you?!"

"But I want you to see Diana!" the brunette acts all innocent and again starts to unbutton her blouse.

"Akko!" Diana blushes but can't look away or have the will to stop Akko from continuing.

 _I am so weak…_ she thinks but starts getting excited after seeing the marks she left on Akko last night.

"Help me?" Akko whispers and Diana immediately stands up to get behind her.

Which leads to the brunette witch moving Diana's hands so that they start caressing her body.

"Akko…" the blonde heiress moans and turns Akko around so that she can kiss her desperately.

"Diana!" Akko exclaims surprised at her girlfriend's move but rejoices and continues kissing and touching her.

"Upps!" both witches hear someone say and they immediately separate from one another to find Amanda staring at them with an evil smile. "What do we have here?"

"Amanda!" Diana starts explaining immediately. "This is not what you think."

"So I just didn't happen to see Luna Nova's favorite student stripping and making out with her girlfriend in the middle of the gardens?" she asks with a knowing smirk.

"Amanda…" Akko tries to intervene but stops when Diana merely yells and hits her softly before taking her stuff and going back to the dorms.

"Diana?!" she asks confused and is ready to follow her.

"No!" Diana says angrily. "You stay away from me Akko!" she yells one last time and continues walking away.

"But why? What did I do?"

"Are you seriously asking that?" Amanda chuckles loudly. "You just embarrassed your girlfriend and she just got super pissed at you because of that."

 _Ohhhh…_

"Then I must certainly go chase her and beg her for forgiveness." Akko says and runs behind Diana, hearing Amanda snicker and call her whipped.

Moving through the school, she can only assume that Diana had returned to her room. Taking one of the many shortcuts that her girlfriend had showed her, she yelps and takes out her wand when she sees someone coming out of said secret door.

And, because said stranger was Croix-Sensei, the woman doesn't pay any attention to her and the two witches end up crashing with each other.

"Croxi-Sensei!" Akko huffs while standing up and helping the older woman do the same.

"Akko." Croix says surprised and a little in pain because of the fall. "I'm sorry I didn't see you there."

"That's fine Sensei." she smiles softly when she realizes that something must be going through her professor's mind. "Did something happen?" she asks knowingly.

"Chariot and I had a silly fight." the inventor murmurs bitterly.

"A fight? But weren't you supposed to go on a date for your anniversary?"

"Well, thanks to Professor Finneran we didn't. And, our fight started because of that." Croix says simply. "I guess I was sulking around school and I didn't think that there would be someone using this shortcut."

"Yeah, Diana showed it to me." Akko explains but then remembers what happened with her girlfriend.

"Did you also get into some trouble with Diana?" the lilac-haired woman asks knowingly.

This makes Akko chuckle.

"You could say that we also got into a silly fight." she stares at her professor. "What did you do?"

"Messed with her a little and then call her boring. What did you do?"

"Stop her from studying and then seduced her in the middle of the garden." Akko says embarrassed.

This makes Croix laugh loudly.

"That's funny!" she says happily. "And knowing Diana she must be very embarrassed."

"I was going to find that out when I ran into you. Literally."

"Then I don't want to keep you any longer." Croix smiles softly at her. "And don't worry Akko, Diana loves you so much that I'm sure she'll forgive you if you do your pout."

"I will then!" Akko says happily. "And Ursula-Sensei is very shy. I'm sure that if you apologize and give her something like a 'I'm very sorry please forgive me' present she'll take you back."

"She hasn't dumped me!" the inventor huffs annoyed. "At least not yet." she murmurs the last part.

Before Akko can answer her, they hear a very familiar voice coming their way.

"It's Finneran-Sensei! "Akko shrieks and pushes Croix and herself inside the secret shortcut.

"Akko! Why are you hiding me? I'm a professor and I _can_ be outside past curfew."

"Sorry!" the younger witch says embarrassed. "Habit."

This makes Croix smile wide.

"Diana and you have been quite busy!"

"Shut up Sensei!" Akko says and goes ahead. "Now I have to go find Diana before Finneran-Sensei gets to the dorms. See you Sensei!"

"See you Akko." Croix smiles softly at her and watches her student go. "Guess I should also make my way back to my room." she murmurs and also returns to the Astronomy Tower.

LWALWALWA

 _I feel so tired…_ is the first thing Akko thinks when she opens her eyes.

Groaning in annoyance, it takes her a while to realize that she's not in her room. In fact, if she was not mistaken, she was in the Astronomy Tower.

Could it be that she fainted and they brought her here?

Trying to understand more what was happening, the brunette witch tries to move up from the bed but realizes that she's being held down by a strong pair of arms. Surprised, and a little hesitant, she turns around and sees Ursula-Sensei sleeping soundly next to her.

Ursula-Sensei and not Diana…

Shrieking, Akko jumps off the bed and starts moving away from it, trying somehow to understand what was happening and why she had been in the same bed as her mentor. But, it doesn't take her long to realize that something was definitely messed up when she tried to grab her hair in order to calm down and realized that it was gone.

Not precisely gone, but it was now shorter.

And purple.

 _Oh no…_ Akko understands what happened to her and only stops shrieking when she notices Ursula-Sensei waking up.

"Croix?" the red-haired woman asks her while smiling softly at her. "You're already up? That's a surprise."

Of course Croix-Sensei would be lazy…

"I was feeling a little restless." she murmurs while trying to avoid focusing too much on her mentor's body and its shape under the covers.

This makes Ursula smile warmly at her.

"I am sorry about last night." she apologizes again. "I know I promised that we would go on a date and I was the one that didn't keep her promise."

"It wasn't your fault." Akko says immediately. "And I understand that we have responsibilities first. I was also acting a little childishly."

"And that's precisely what I love about you, Croix." Ursula says to her seductively and this makes Akko gulp in fear. "In fact, and because of what happened, I was thinking that perhaps we could skip breakfast."

"Skip breakfast?" the brunette witch asks shocked. "But then we will be hungry!"

"Don't worry darling." the red-haired witch tells her wickedly. "You can have me for breakfast." she says seductively while pulling the covers of her body and making Akko blush brightly.

 _By Jennifer what am I going to do?!_ Akko starts panicking but is somehow saved when she sees a version of herself go right inside the room.

"Ak… Croix-Sensei!" her doppelgänger screams and falls completely silent when she sees the red-haired woman in the bed.

"You!" Akko screams while accusingly pointing her finger at the double in front of her.

"You little!" Croix screams to her from her body while getting closer to them.

"Akko!" Ursula shrieks while covering herself again. "What did I tell you about knocking?!"

"I'm sorry!" Croix apologizes but still doesn't look a little bit sorry about the incident.

"What are you doing here?" Ursula asks her now that she's wearing a robe.

"I had to come see Croix-Sensei." she says simply while giving the young witch a knowing look.

"Well, I'm afraid that it will have to wait because right now Croix is…"

"Happy to help you!" Akko says immediately while giving her mentor an apologetic smile. "Trust me darling, you know that if we don't help her as soon as possible she'll start sulking."

Groaning, but nodding in agreement, Ursula gives them a soft smile before turning around and going to the bathroom.

The moment she's gone, the two witches stare at each other and can't help but excitedly shriek and get closer to one another.

"This is incredible!" Akko says from Croix's body. "How did this happen?"

"I'm not sure." Croix says intrigued. "All I know is that when I went to sleep I was still in my own body. Probably the curse or spell activated during the night and when we were asleep."

"This is not good Croix-Sensei! We need to return to our own bodies!"

"But this event is quite unique Akko! I'm sure that the moment we explain things we'll be able to analyze the phenomenon more."

"Trust me, you don't want Ursula-Sensei to realize that I was in your body."

"Why?" Croix asks her curiously.

"Because she may have done something…" Akko says simply while blushing brightly.

"Something like what?" the lilac-haired woman asks her student to clarify.

This makes Akko blush even more than before.

"Well, she may have wanted to spend some extra time with you in bed…" she whispers and feels the tip of her ears burning.

This makes Croix open her eyes in shock and sit down for a couple of seconds.

"Are you telling me that…" she whispers shocked. "…I missed one of the few moments of Chariot being all Ecchi?!" the inventor screams bitterly. "I will kill you Akko!"

"I'm sure that this will turn out to be your fault!" the brunette witch responds immediately. "In fact, the curse probably activated last time when we crashed into each other. Did you have anything out of the ordinary when we met?"

Opening her eyes in shock, Croix realizes immediately that perhaps the red stone she had in her pockets was responsible for this little mishap. Because she didn't remember touching or using anything else apart from it.

But, before she can answer Akko she hears Chariot opening the door of the bathroom and coming out of it with her uniform on and a gentle smile was directed towards her.

"Now Akko, did Croix manage to help you with what you needed?" she then turned around to look at Akko, or well her body. "You did help her, right?"

"Of course I did!" Akko tries to say insulted like Croix-Sensei would probably deliver this sentence. "I happen to be one of the brightest and most powerful witches of this era."

 _You little rascal I would never say something like that…_ Croix thinks bitterly while watching Chariot laugh and get closer to Akko.

"Well, you are certainly not one of the most modest ones." she chuckles and hugs her tight. "While I was getting ready I started to think about ways of making it up to you?"

"Making it up to me?" Akko asks confused.

 _Oh that's right! Chariot did say last night to me that she was going to make it up to me._

"So I thought that I could start with a date?" the red-haired woman smiles brightly at Akko who gulps confused. "Tonight after you're done with class?"

"She can!" Croix answers quickly because the younger girl in her body was only gulping and blushing.

Not that she blamed her because when Chariot wanted it she could be pretty seductive and convincing.

"Remember Croix-Sensei, that's what I came to tell you!" she screams because Akko always screamed when she talked. "The lesson we had for today I was asking you if you could change it for another day because I wanted to ask Diana on a date." she lies while closing her eyes because Chariot would only believe Akko would change the date of a lesson for Diana.

"Oh right…" Akko says confused because it's so typical of Croix-Sensei to mix everything up. "Then I can go!" she smiles softly and opens her eyes in shock when Ursula-Sensei kisses her soundly on the lips.

 _I'm so sorry Diana…_ she blushes and sees Croix-Sensei staring at her with jealousy and anger.

"Great!" Ursula says happily. "Then I'll be on my way to breakfast." she pats Akko's head and gives Akko a soft look. "You coming?"

"Yes…" Akko replies with a smile. "Let me just grab a book for Akko since we won't be having that lesson today. I'll catch up with you."

"Ok." her mentor answers and the moment the two witches are alone Croix jumps and tries to choke Akko.

"I will kill you Akko!" she says while getting on top of the younger witch.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" Akko says from the ground. "And, instead of getting jealous you should start worrying about how we're going to fix this before tonight!"

 _The date!_

"You're right." Croix says and moves away from her. "I know why this happened."

"You mean you were the one who caused this to happen." Akko murmurs.

"And the stone should be around here." she is going to start looking around the room but is interrupted by familiar blonde hair.

"Akko!" Diana says with a soft smile and hugs the brunette witch tightly.

"Diana!" Akko says surprised from her mentor's body.

"Professor Croix." she replies politely. "Sorry to just barge in, but I happened to meet with Professor Ursula in the dining room and she said that you two were here." she then turns to look at Akko. "Listen, about last night…"

 _Shit, what do I do now…_ Croix thinks while staring at Akko who was looking at the two of them with sad eyes.

"I was way out of line." she says calmly. "And I wanted to apologize as soon as I left."

This makes Diana hug her tightly.

"I did hear you knocking…" she blushes brightly. "But I didn't answer because I was still angry." she murmurs embarrassed. "I am sorry I acted so childishly."

"It's fine Diana." Croix mumbles confused and also opens her eyes in shock when the blonde witch kisses her on the lips.

"I am so lucky to have you Akko." Diana says lovingly and she feels a little sorry that Akko is only hearing these words indirectly.

"Well…" Akko interrupts the two of them and Diana blushes brightly. "Now that you've made up, how about we go meet Urs… Chariot for breakfast." she almost messes up but recovers quickly.

"Indeed. Today will be a busy day." the blonde witch gives them a confused look before grabbing Akko's hand to walk to the dining room. "Let us go, I am hungry." she finishes politely and Croix gives a lingering look to the desk where she remembered she placed the stone.

Akko, noticing this, is ready to go grab it before Diana also takes her hand and starts pulling her away.

"You too Professor Croix. Professor Ursula's orders." she smirks knowingly.

"Yes, yes." Akko laments herself but still follows the two witches.

They still had time before Croix-Sensei's date.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you congratulations." Diana says to her happy.

"Congratulations?" Akko asks confused.

"Yes…" the blonde replies calmly. "Today you will start teaching your Magitronics class and I know there a lot of witches excited about it."

 _Teach Magitronics…_

 _That was today?!_ Croix panics mentally but realizes that Akko is hyperventilating.

"Professor Croix?" Diana also notices who she believes is the older woman panicking.

"I need to teach Magitronics?" Akko whispers. "Great…" she says and shocks everyone surrounding them when she faints and falls to the ground.

"Professor Croix!" witches and people quickly surround them to see if she's alright.

"Oh shit…" Croix murmurs while watching a frantic Chariot coming to Akko's side and helping her regain consciousness with a calm Diana using her magic to hold her body mid-air. "I am going to be so screwed."


	13. Lyonne

Remember that chapter in which Akko and Croix meet Akko and Diana from the future? In that story, future Diana tells them how future Akko and her got together very briefly.

This chapter is what happened…

Chapter takes place in alternate universe of chapter 8 (Back to the Future Part II)

Notes:

I'm back! I know that I said that I was going to post part 2 of Freaky Luna Nova. But, I wrote this chapter as a way to cope a little bit with the confusing feelings that I was feeling for someone. Hence, this chapter is more serious than the previous ones hehe. But, writing it was very therapeutic and it did make me feel better!

Thank you all for your support and for still sticking with it!

* * *

Diana had been feeling terribly confused over the last couple of weeks.

She was aware that things had changed between Akko and her after she returned from the Cavendish Manor. In fact, Diana had started to realize that she didn't dislike the brunette witch as much as she thought she did.

She actually admired her.

Her determination, her charisma and her blunt honesty were things that Diana had not been used to seeing in the people that surrounded her. She had been raised in a society and group that hid their true selves from each other and only showed the people around them what they wanted them to see. That was why she had abandoned her love for Shiny Chariot when the other kids around her started mocking her. Why she had been so desperate when her magic stopped working and her parents' friends started whispering about her weakness.

Diana realized that she had always cared about what others thought of her.

She had realized that she disliked being seen as weak.

That she wanted to change.

It took her many arduous hours of work and dedication, but Diana quickly surpassed her physical barriers and became one of the most popular witches of her era. Coming to Luna Nova had been a way for her to get an official confirmation of her talents from the professors.

To show all the people that had doubted her when she was a child how powerful and intelligent she had become.

And delivered praise they did.

Diana knew that the admiration of the professors and students came only because of her capabilities; they were all signs of the perfect façade that she spent years building. And she should be happy about the fact that they all looked up to her and tended to follow her instructions. Because it was way better than feeling ridiculed by others.

She had promised herself that she was not going to feel that ever again.

And until now that had been true.

Until she met Atsuko Kagari.

The Japanese witch, in a way, was everything she had hated about herself when she was younger. She was clumsy, she was vocal about her desires and innocent in regards to magic and what others thought of her.

And her shenanigans always involved Diana and got her into embarrassing situations.

The ones she had wanted to avoid for years.

Yet she could never stay mad at the brunette witch. She knew that Akko's behavior only affected the Japanese girl's reputation; she was ridiculed by the rest of witches and even professors at Luna Nova. So it shouldn't have mattered to Diana what happened to Akko because of that.

Yet she realized she cared.

In fact, many times Diana had felt sick about the way some of the people around Luna Nova treated Akko and the crazy expectations they had on the brunette witch. Perhaps it was true that Akko was a magnet for trouble and always brought attention to herself; but it seemed like only Professor Ursula truly took the time to teach the brunette witch about magic and the way spells were meant to work.

Because many forgot or ignored the fact that Akko didn't come from a magical family.

Unlike Diana.

Which meant that Akko was her complete opposite and that logically they shouldn't get along.

 _Then why had she promised Professor Ursula that she was going to help Akko find the seven words?_

Surprisingly, Diana had not hesitated in accepting the older woman's request. In fact, she had somehow found herself getting closer to the brunette witch because of that. From watching her practice after class to eating lunches together, Diana had slowly realized that Akko and her were not that different.

In all honesty, if Diana had to define what she felt about their meetings, she would have to say that they were the highlight of her day and that she always looked forward to them.

Which was the moment she understood why she had not hesitated to accept Professor Ursula's request.

It was because she was growing too attached to Akko and the blonde heiress was not naïve enough to not realize what her heart was starting to feel for the Japanese witch.

A happiness and pride that was not as innocent as she would have wanted it to be.

Diana could have convinced herself that it was a platonic love and that she had grown close enough to Akko to see her as a friend. But that didn't explain why she had been following Professor Croix since Diana realized that she was interested in Akko.

Why she was terrified of something happening to Akko if left unprotected.

Diana had been meticulously analyzing every move Professor Croix made and how her actions affected Akko. The blonde heiress had been careful about those two realizing that she was watching them but she knew that the lilac-haired professor was interested in Akko and that was worrying her. Specially after the fact that Akko had realized that Professor Croix had a connection to Shiny Chariot and was following the older witch around the school because of that.

Hence, she wasn't that surprised when Professor Ursula asked her to meet in the middle of the night while doing their rounds.

"Diana, we need to talk." the older woman told her seriously and she knew right away that it had to do with Akko.

"Of course." she says quickly and follows the older woman to a room. "Let me place a silencing spell around us so no one can hear what we're going to converse." she moves her wand and sees Ursula using her own to produce two chairs to sit on. "What happened?"

"Today I saw Akko and Croix together in town." Ursula whispers dejectedly. "And although Akko did tell me earlier that they coincidentally bumped into each other, when I asked her hours later if she got everything she needed in town, she told me that she had never left the school."

"But that's impossible…" Diana says confused. "Because I talked to her in town. Afterwards I returned to Luna Nova and so did she."

"I remember that as well." the professor says worriedly. "Which makes me suspect that Akko's lack of recollection has something to do with Croix." Ursula whispers worriedly.

"You think she made Akko drink a forgetting potion?" Diana asks softly.

Potions like that were not dangerous but that could mean that Akko saw something she shouldn't have or shared with Professor Croix something the older woman didn't want the brunette witch to remember.

"We both know that she's closer to finishing her preparations and that the amount of magic surrounding Luna Nova has increased." Ursula says softly.

Diana nods in agreement.

"Based on what you told me, it seems like it's similar to Fuel Spirit. Those cubes possess magic and can transform and shape themselves based on Croix's desires. It is very powerful, but also very unstable magic." the blonde witch shares her suspicions with the older woman.

Ursula looks dejectedly towards the ceiling.

"I have to stop her from hurting Akko." she whispers brokenly. "I have to tell Akko the truth before she gets captured or hurt by Croix."

"You'll tell her that you're Shiny Chariot?" Diana asks surprised because she knew how terrified the blue-haired woman was of sharing this with Akko. "Didn't you tell me when I realized who you were that Akko knowing this could hinder her in her search for the words?"

"Yes, but that was before Croix made such a direct attack on Akko." the older woman says brokenly. "And nothing, not even the seven words, are more important than Akko's wellbeing." she says firmly and Diana agrees.

"Then you're going to tell Akko that you're Shiny Chariot." Diana says softly. "How does that make you feel?"

"I've wanted to tell her the truth for so long." Ursula confesses softly. "But it just never seemed like the right time to do so. And now I think that it may be too late for her to not hate me for what I'm about to do."

This makes Diana get close to the older witch and grab her hands tightly.

"Akko is unlike any other witch I have ever met. She's one of the most forgiving and loyal people I've seen and I know for certain how much she cares about you Professor. How strong is the bond between you two."

"Is it?" Ursula asks brokenly. "Because I have grown to love Akko like a daughter and I'm terrified of her hating me after telling her the truth."

"She will forgive you." Diana says confidently and watches the blue-haired witch nod softly.

LWALWALWA

"Akko is gone." Diana hears Ursula tell her brokenly.

So it seems that Professor Ursula had gone ahead and told Akko the whole truth.

And Akko had run away from the truth like she always seemed to do when it was too hard or too much for her to bear.

"What do you want me to do?" Diana asks quickly.

"Find her." Ursula asks of her. "Bring her back to Luna Nova."

Even if Professor Ursula hadn't asked this of her, Diana knew without a doubt that she was not going to let Akko leave.

"I will find her." the blonde witch promises the older woman who gives her a broken smile in return.

"Thank you, Diana." Ursula tells her softly and goes to pick up her broom.

"Where will you go?" Diana asks worriedly.

She didn't like the way her professor was crying and avoiding her eyes. During their time together they had gotten close and now Diana knew how the blue-haired woman thought. So, the fact that the older woman was murmuring to herself while grabbing her broom tightly meant that she was trying to convince herself of doing something.

And it didn't take a genius to realize that what Professor Ursula was going to do was face Professor Croix.

"I'm going to put an end to all of this." Ursula whispers determined. "I cannot let Croix continue with this plan. Not only for Akko, but also for her." she says the last part softly but Diana hears her clearly.

"You shouldn't face her alone." Diana warns her calmly. "She has the Fuel Spirit increasing her magic and we don't know the machine she's using to canalize all that magic."

"It must be inside that lab." the professor says firmly. "And I'll destroy the machine once I find it. After that's done, there's nothing else Croix could do."

"This plan…" the blonde witch tries to reason with her. "We need to think it through Professor. If we go to fight Professor Croix and she happens to beat us then she will start her plan earlier."

"But this has already hurt Akko too much!" Ursula exclaims bitterly. "And what kind of person would I be, have I been, if I allow Akko to suffer from all of this all by herself?" she closes her eyes dejectedly. "This started when I was given the Shiny Rod and I failed to find the last word. It has to end with me." she grabs Diana's hand strongly. "I am asking you to please find Akko." she implores desperately. "She doesn't know that she can get over this and become a wonderful witch."

 _Like you did…_ is what Ursula doesn't say out-loud but Diana hears it loud and clear.

"I will find her." she vows again. "But Professor, promise me that you'll be careful." she also makes the older woman promise and watches her leave quickly.

"I hope everything turns out alright…" she whispers and grabs the Shiny Rod that had been abandoned in the blue-haired woman's room so she can go find Akko.

LWALWALWA

Diana was exhausted. It had been almost three hours since she left Luna Nova and there was still no sight of Akko. She had been tempted to talk to Akko's friends and ask them for help, but then she would have to explain to them why the brunette witch ran away. And Diana didn't have the right to do that. So, it was only up to her to find her friend and somehow convince her to come back to Luna Nova. Because if there was one thing that Diana was certain of, was that Akko would be too depressed to wish to return.

And now Diana had to be the one that convinced her of coming back.

But how could she?

When Professor Ursula first told her what happened, she had also been depressed and angry. In fact, it was because of all of her years practicing self-restraint and patience that she managed to simply stay in front of her professor and hear the whole story. Akko, most probably, ran the moment she realized that Professor Ursula was Shiny Chariot and had been the one responsible of stealing her magic.

Professor Ursula most probably didn't have the chance of explaining to Akko that with hard work and dedication she could get said magic back.

Like she did when she was a child.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Diana starts to think of all the things Akko and her had talked about. How they had bonded over magic classes and failed spells. How Akko had talked to her about Shiny Chariot so much that now Diana knew every card effect and location that was had been produced.

Locations that ironically happened to be around Luna Nova.

 _That's it!_ Diana realizes and starts flying towards a very specific place.

She knew that Akko's love for Shiny Chariot aka Ursula would never fade but that it would be conflicted. Hence, the brunette witch was most likely to go to a place that meant very much to the blue-haired witch when she was younger. Closing her eyes and remembering the many cards, there was one that Akko always seemed to prefer.

The Fountain of Polaris.

When Akko spoke of that card, her eyes shined brightly and her smile became softer. She had told Diana that she was not ready yet to be granted the powers of the fountain. That her magic was still growing and that there was much she still needed to learn before becoming worthy of it.

That Shiny Chariot, like her, had also tried once to get those powers and had failed.

That failure and the ability to surpass said failure was what brought her closer to her idol and made her realize that wanting to be like her was not a fool's dream.

That it could be a reality.

That it had to become _hers_.

Getting closer to the fountain, Diana sees Akko sitting on a bench, quietly staring at her surroundings with a solemn look on her face. It was clear that she had stopped crying but that only increased Diana's wariness because this type of behavior was so unlike Akko.

But then again, everything that had happened to Akko since Professor Croix came to Luna Nova was not something that happened to a typical witch.

So how would the brunette react?

"Akko…" Diana tells her softly while getting close. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Diana." Akko simply says without looking at her. "I assume Ursula-Sensei asked you to come find me."

"Yes." she confirms simply. "Because she's devastated and she cares about you."

"Does she?" Akko stares at her. "Because all she has done since I got here was lie to me."

"Do you really blame her Akko?" Diana asks her firmly. "For not sharing her deepest and most regretful secret with a girl she just met who every chance she could told her that she loved and admired her to no end?"

This makes Akko look down in bitterness.

"Not at first." the brunette witch murmurs quietly. "But we got closer. We shared so many things and she became so invested in wanting to help me get better…" she smiles bitterly. "That I thought it was because she cared about me."

"It was because she cared."

"It was because she felt sorry for me. Once she realized that she took my magic away, her helping me was a way for her to make amends." Akko spits out angrily.

"Akko…" Diana whispers sadly. "You are not speaking what you truly feel. You're saying things out of anger and that is only going to hurt you more."

"How much more can I even take Diana?" Akko stares at her with bitter tears in her eyes. "Everyone at that school laughs at me. They mock and insult me all the time. Even my own friends joke about my mistakes and my inability to do magic. And to now know that this all happened because my magic was taken away!" she looks away. "It's just too much to bear."

"Of course it is." the blonde witch tells her softly. "In fact, all that has happened to you since you arrived to Luna Nova has not been fair." she adds bitterly. "But it also means that you're much stronger than all of us for having surpassed those adversities."

"Surpassed?" Akko laughs sadly. "Diana, I'm not even capable of fully doing a transformation spell."

"Perhaps not." Diana agrees with a warm smile. "But your magic did free Vajarois. Your magic also helped me when I needed it and you successfully saved me from my aunt's snakes. Something that I was incapable of doing."

"You were not expecting them."

"That doesn't take away from the fact that you saved me." she grabs Akko's hand and squeezes it tightly. "Remember when you told me to watch you, Akko?"

The brunette girl nods.

"I have been doing so." Diana says softly.

"Because Ursula-Sensei asked you to." Akko murmurs dejectedly.

"What?" she asks confused.

"She told me that you had been helping me." she chuckles bitterly. "Which I guess explains why you started to teach me magic and started to hang out with me. To keep an eye on me."

Seriously, Professor Ursula was sometimes too honest for her own good.

"It was never because of that." Diana takes a deep breath. "But at first I did accept her request because I felt I owed you."

"Owed me?" Akko asks confused.

"For not giving up on me and bringing me back to Luna Nova." the blonde witch gets close to Akko. "I felt that I owed you a favor and I thought that by keeping you safe I would repay my debt to you." she chuckles softly. "But I became too invested. You…" she stares at Akko honestly. "Were such an enigma that I felt I needed to solve."

"Diana…"

"And I kept coming back to every lesson you had. I started to talk to you after class and you were so welcoming and warm. This, questioning my intentions, was something I had been expecting you to do sooner." Diana chuckles warmly. "But you never did. And I considered myself lucky."

"It baffled me sometimes." Akko confesses softly. "Why you would want to be with a person like me. I mean, we're so different that I can't see you gaining something from being near me."

"I gain everything!" Diana says passionately and surprises the brunette witch. "Akko, you are spectacular!" she adds vehemently. "Watching you talk about magic, about performing shows and the way you're improving; it reminds me of the time when I loved magic like you do."

"You don't love magic?" the brunette witch asks softly.

"I stopped doing so a long time ago." the blonde witch smiles sadly. "Magic, unfortunately, became such a necessity and commodity to me that it lost its charm." she smiles tenderly. "But then I met you Akko and everything changed."

"What do you mean Diana?" Akko asks carefully and Diana knows that she has already said too much.

She should probably stop but the way Akko is squeezing her hands and her eyes keep focusing on her… It is stopping her from rationally thinking about the situation.

It is making her feel brave and confident about her feelings.

About sharing them with the young woman in front of her.

The Japanese witch that had slowly, but surely, stolen her heart.

And realizing this didn't make Diana feel scared or lost.

It made her feel thankful.

"It means that the reason I have been spending all this time with you is because I have wanted to do so." Diana smiles brightly. "I wanted to be near you."

"Why did you want to be near me Diana?" Akko asks softly, hesitantly.

Grabbing Akko's hands and bringing them to her lips, Diana gives the brunette witch a warm smile.

"Because I have realized that I like you, Akko." she says confidently and watches tears falling out of her friend's eyes.

"Are you lying to me, Diana?" the Japanese witch asks her brokenly. "Because I no longer know what to believe. Are you telling me this because you really mean it or is it only to bring me back to Luna Nova?"

"My feelings for you are true, Akko." Diana hugs her tightly. "And I want you to come back to Luna Nova because of what I feel. Because I want to be with you. Although I guess that makes me sound selfish." she chuckles happily. "Which I've realized is something that I want to be."

"Diana…" Akko whispers surprised.

"I want you to give our story a chance Akko." the blonde heiress says while creating a little space between the two of them. "I know that your time at Luna Nova has not always been the easiest. And probably once we return it will take a while for things to get better. But, what I can promise you is that I will always stay by your side."

"Always?" the brunette witch asks softly, hopefully, and Diana gives her a dashing smile before nodding and taking the Shiny Rod out of her magic robe.

"Always." she promises and hands the staff to Akko who doesn't take it.

Instead, what the Japanese girl does is that she closes the distance between the two of them and stares lovingly at her.

"I like you too." she hugs her tightly while kissing her on the lips.

Closing her eyes and letting go, Diana thinks only of the girl in front of her and how lucky she is that her feelings are being returned.

That Akko felt the same…

"Thank you, Diana." Akko says to her and both witches see the Shiny Rod shining brightly for them.

Smiling at the surprised brunette, Diana can't stop herself from laughing happily at everything that had happened. Perhaps the situation wasn't the best one. Or the reasons why they were here were not the easiest ones. But all the events that led them to this moment were so typical Akko that Diana couldn't think of a better scenario for their love story to begin.

Knowing inside her heart what that green light meant, and feeling closer to Akko than ever before, Diana gets close to the brunette's lips and is ready to yet again kiss her.

But, before she can do that she needs to say the magic word.

"Lyonne." Diana chants the magic word confidently and both witches feel each other being filled with warmth and happiness.

Emotions that they were certain came from the deepest part of their selves.

This type of magic, unlike the other ones that had come from the Shiny Rod, was not as flashy or physical. Instead, this one felt deeper and more meaningful. To Diana, it felt like she had gained a better understanding of Akko and that said knowledge had made her realize the depth of her true feelings for the brunette witch.

That she was going to grow to love her.

"Diana…" Akko says to her softly while staring at her brightly and that's when the blonde realizes that she had not kissed Akko yet.

"Yes?" she asks embarrassed because she had left the brunette witch hanging.

"Let's go home." the Japanese girl tells her with a soft smile and kisses her soundly on the lips.

 _No,_ Diana thinks while kissing Akko passionately, _I am already in love with her..._


	14. Freaky Luna Nova II

Final part of this small arc! Thank you all for your support and for liking this story! Next chapter will be Smutty Luna Nova that will change the rating of this story to M!

* * *

What happened? is the first thing Akko thinks of when she opens her eyes.

Looking around her, she notices that she's in the infirmary.

Well, that's not shocking… she chuckles and is going to stand up but is stopped by a very concerned Ursula-Sensei.

"Croix!" the older woman tells her relieved while grabbing her hand and squeezing it tenderly. "Take your time before moving."

Croix? Akko thinks confused.

"I was so worried when you fainted." the older woman continues explaining to her. "In fact, were it not for Diana and Akko using a levitation spell you would have split your head open."

"Diana and Akko?" she asks confused and quickly notices her girlfriend and herself staring at her.

Whaaaaaat…

"I bet she must feel a little confused about everything right now." her doppelganger says calmly. "At least I would be."

"You get confused with everything darling." Diana teases her softly and the brunette witch that looks like her chuckles knowingly.

"But you love me like this."

"Indeed." the blonde promises with a bright smile.

"It's so nice to see them like this." Ursula whispers to her happily. "I remember when they both first came to Luna Nova. You would have never suspected them to like each other. But then again, we were the same when we first met."

"We were?" Akko asks confused and gets a worried look from Ursula and a menacing one from herself.

Focusing on her double, she notices her moving her hands in a motion to touch her hair and Akko realizes that she's asking her to do the same. When she does, she immediately remembers what had happened to her during the morning and that she was now in Croix-Sensei's body.

"I mean we were." she corrects herself quickly. "Although my opinion of you changed very quickly." she tries to think of something common to say. "You were just so determined."

"You were as well." Ursula reminds her with a happy smile. "I remember getting obsessed with you after you won the relay race."

Akko smirks.

"So that was it, huh? What made you fall madly in love with me." she teases her professor in a way she believes Croix-Sensei would do. "It was my abilities and my magical prowess."

"Croix!" the red-haired witch exclaims embarrassed. "You know it was more than that."

Akko chuckles softly.

"Yes, yes." she promises and again tries not to move away when Ursula kisses her soundly on the lips.

"I'm glad to see you're alright." Ursula tells her seriously.

"I'm sorry I made you worry." she then looks at Diana and Croix. "And thank you for saving me."

"Always." Diana promises her with a warm smile. "Although the first one that did the spell was Akko and not me." she smirks proudly. "Your spellcasting is getting so much better."

"I think it just happens to work well under pressure." Croix says softly. "Besides, it's all thanks to Char… Ursula-Sensei's and your help that I've been getting better."

"It's been your dedication Akko." Ursula gives her a warm smile. "So don't sell yourself short."

"Hai!" she promises immediately.

"I hate to interrupt." Diana says apologetically. "But now that Croix-Sensei has woken up, I think it's time for us to leave." she says to Ursula.

"Oh that's right." the older woman stands up from the chair. "I completely forgot about our class."

"Your class?" Akko asks confused. "What about mine?"

She gets some condescending looks from Diana and Ursula.

"It was moved to tomorrow." Diana explains to her sweetly. "Everyone just wanted you to get better."

"That's very nice of them." Akko says relieved because that gave them time.

"Yes it was!" Croix smiles happily. "But, since Ursula-Sensei was planning on you going to teach the class, she had already planned a lesson with Diana."

"But aren't your lessons with Diana at night?" the brunette witch asks confused.

"They are." Diana gives the professor a soft smile. "Before you fainted, Professor Ursula was asking me if only for today we could have the lesson earlier."

"I had to ask Diana to change the time of our class because of our date." Ursula explains while giving Akko, aka truly Croix, a knowing look. "We'll be done just in time for me to go get changed."

"I can stay and keep Croix-Sensei some company. You know, make sure she gets back to her room alright and is ready on time." Croix emphasizes the last part.

"Good idea." Diana smirks at the older woman who was really Akko.

"I'm not a child." Akko complains although she really was.

"Still, knowing that Akko will keep an eye on you calms me tremendously." Ursula guilt-trips her.

"Alright." Akko says annoyed from the bed. "I'll be waiting for you."

"I love you."

"I love you too." the brunette witch says easily because that feeling was true. She loves Ursula-Sensei.

"And Akko, don't let her convince you of doing something silly or dangerous." the red-haired woman warns her while getting close enough to whisper to her. "You also have your date to think of, right?"

"Yes! Don't worry Sensei, Croix-Sensei is in safe hands." Croix salutes the older woman making them all laugh softly.

"Bye darling." Diana whispers while kissing her softy on the lips.

"Bye…" the lilac-haired woman whispers from the brunette's body and watches the two witches leave. "Shit Akko, we need to fix this as soon as possible…" she says but gets no answer. "Akko?" she turns around and sees the younger woman preparing to attack her.

"Croix-Sensei, I will kill you!"

LWALWALWA

"You didn't have to hit me." Croix says while caressing her head.

"I did have to hit you because you're the reason why we're in this situation." Akko exclaims annoyed.

"This time I didn't mean it!" the lilac-haired woman promises. "It was honestly an accident."

"You always have accidents Sensei."

"Well, this one came from good intentions." she explains softly. "In fact, to be honest I don't really know how to solve this problem."

"But earlier you said you knew why this happened." Akko says worriedly.

"Just because I know why it happened that doesn't mean I know how to fix it." Croix reminds her student. "The culprit responsible for this is a magic stone that I bought in a market a few weeks ago."

"A magic stone, why would you even buy one?"

"It is a red stone, Akko." is all the explanation Croix gives her and the brunette immediately understands.

"You wanted to give it to Ursula-Sensei during your date yesterday."

"Yes, but because the date was cancelled, I took the stone with me in case Chariot happened to find it."

"And you were carrying the stone when we both collided with each other." Akko starts to understand what happened. "But why did you buy a stone with an effect like this?"

"I didn't know the stone had an effect!" Croix says immediately. "Usually magic stones just have the magic to store memories in them. So, I was planning on giving the stone to Chariot so she could put the memories she wanted inside of it."

"That's a very nice present!" the brunette witch exclaims happily. "I will give one to Diana as well."

"They're not easy to find, which is why I was surprised I happened to see this one."

"Perhaps you should have thought about that fact before buying the stone." Akko murmurs knowingly. "Maybe someone purposely left the stone there to cause an incident like this one."

Only her professor would believe that it was pure coincidence that she happened to find a rare stone when she needed it.

"You mean as a prank?"

"Yes!" Akko exclaims quickly. "Still, now it doesn't matter." she closes her eyes. "How far away is the market from the school?"

"Not very far if we use a Leyline." Croix tells her calmly. "In fact, we should be there in just a couple of minutes."

"Good!" the younger witch says determined. "Then what we'll do right now is go to that market and demand the seller to fix this."

"Yes! Let's go! I went to get the stone when Char and Diana were bringing you to the infirmary." Croix exclaims proudly and uses her magic to open a Leyline.

"No Sensei!" the brunette tries to stop her but it's too late.

"I ran out of magic…"

"Of course you did! Remember, you're in my body!"

"I forgot that little detail…"

"It's a huge detail!" Akko shrieks. "Well, let's go in so that the magic you used doesn't go to waste."

"Guess now it will be all up to you Akko." Croix chuckles because of the effects of running out of magic.

"It always seems to be that way when we're together…" she grabs the older woman by her shoulders and helps her walk towards the Leyline. "Now let's go get this fixed."

LWALWALWA

"Murowa!" Diana screams while pointing her wand at Ursula, who smirks and moves out of the way.

"Vega Varulus!" Ursula says quickly and jumps up in the air, hiding herself from Diana with the smoke from the previous explosion.

"I can't see her…" the blonde witch murmurs and raises a shield just before she's hit by her professor.

"Nice thinking." the older woman compliments her. "But, I still have the lead." she raises her wand. "Belga Veeda!"

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to avoid the spell like this, Diana concentrates and chants her spell.

"Metamorphie Faciess!" she screams and turns herself into a bird.

"Good job Diana!" Ursula compliments her again. "But you should have chosen another animal." the older woman smirks and points her wand directly at her. "Paleis Capama."

Once those words are said, Diana knows she will be incapable of moving.

She had heard about the spell, had even read it in some ancient books, but had not expected the older woman to know how to chant it.

Specially because it needed a lot of concentration and technique to master it.

"I concede." Diana says while letting go of her own spell and turning back to her human self. "I was not expecting you to use that spell."

"It is a pretty advanced spell, Diana." the older woman says with a soft smile. "You were incredible today."

"Your lessons are helping me improve tremendously." she thanks the older woman. "I still find it hard to believe that you learned how to fight with the Ministry's police."

"It was before I came to Luna Nova." Ursula chuckles softly. "I had just abandoned my Shiny Chariot persona and I wanted somewhere to hide. But, because of all the magic I took I became too strong and found myself incapable of controlling my own magic. Hence, I decided to enter the police academy and spend it."

"But you're still just as strong."

"They taught me to control it." the older woman says happily. "In fact, the enhancing spell, Vega Varulus was created by me during my time at the academy."

"Incredible." Diana says in complete awe because creating a spell took serious amounts of magical knowledge and training. "You truly are quite gifted at magic."

"Many that knew me when I was younger wouldn't have said that." Ursula chuckles. "In fact, I was a lot like Akko when I studied here. None of my spells worked the way I wanted them to and I always made messes."

"That sounds like Akko alright." the blonde witch chuckles as well. "I can see why you took a liking to her so quickly."

"I did want to meet her when I saw her with the Shiny Rod." she admits softly. "But once I realized that she reminded me of myself, I knew I had to help her."

"She knows that it was never about the Shiny Rod or the Dream Fuel Spirit." Diana tells her knowingly.

"She told me so herself." Ursula smiles sadly. "I wouldn't blame her if she didn't believe me, thought."

"But she does so you shouldn't worry about that, correct?"

"I believe you're right Diana." the red-haired witch says, ready to dismiss her student before she feels a strong wave of magic coming from the building.

"That was a powerful amount of magic." Diana feels it as well. "Not normal at all."

"Also very difficult to cast. Only an experienced witch could have done it." Ursula murmurs while running towards the source of the magic. "Not many spells require that amount of magic."

"I think it's coming from the infirmary." the blonde witch says confused. "You don't think…"

"That Croix and Akko have something to do with it?" the professor says knowingly. "Of course I do."

Now moving even faster than before, the two witches arrive to the infirmary and find the traces of a Leyline in the room.

"She cannot be this stupid." Ursula closes her eyes exasperated while sitting down. "Casting a Leyline inside a building…"

"I can see Professor Croix doing that." Diana murmurs to herself. "Why would she even need to cast a Leyline?"

"Diana, it's Croix we're talking about. Remember when she traveled through time and almost changed the future?"

"I get what you mean..." the blonde witch says while smelling around them. "But I can only sense Akko's essence in the remaining magic."

This makes Ursula concentrate and smell the air surrounding them.

"You're right. This is not Croix's magic. It's Akko's."

"But this is advanced magic! Not even I can cast a Leyline." Diana says worriedly. "And even if I happened to succeed, I would run out of magic."

"Only grown-up and powerful witches can create a Leyline. And, although she doesn't tend to show it very often, Croix is one of the best spellcaster of our era." Ursula says softly. "Because like you said, Akko is not capable of performing such a feat."

"Then why is Akko's magic the one lingering in the air?"

This makes Ursula concentrate and think about everything that had happened today.

"Do you think somehow Professor Croix taught her how to do the spell?" the younger witch continues hypothesizing.

"I think the best way to find out what happened is by following them." the red-haired witch determines.

"But how? We don't know to which place the Leyline used by Akko led them." Diana asks confused.

"Well, do you know the restoration spell?"

"Scrylla Yera Retoure"

"Indeed. That spell, we'll use it to restore the Leyline."

"Can you even do that?" Diana asks shocked.

"Well, I can try." Ursula gives her a cheeky smile and points at the leftover magic of the Leyline. "Scrylla Yera Retoure!" she chants and an immense amount of magic pours from the older woman's wand into the restored Leyline.

"You did it!" the blonde witch says in complete awe. "That was spectacular!" she smiles at the red-haired witch who looks a little exhausted but nonetheless alright.

"Indeed, I did." she chuckles at the enthusiasm her student is showing. "Although it left me a little tired."

"Do you need to rest?" Diana asks worriedly.

"No, we need to go in so that the spell is not wasted." Ursula smiles and grabs the blonde's hand. "Now, let us go fix the big mess our girlfriends did."

LWALWALWA

"I never knew a place like this existed." Akko says in complete awe while watching all the different magic stores.

"This magic bazar is not known by many witches." Croix informs her calmly. "And, I just happened to find it because of some parts that I needed for the Noir Rod."

"The Dark Shiny Rod." the brunette witch corrects her.

"Noir Rod sounds way better."

"Anyway…" Akko interrupts her professor from continuing her line of thought. "Do you see the store where you bought the stone?"

"It should be around here." Croix grabs Akko's hand and pulls her inside a hidden corridor.

"And you said that you just happened to find this stone…" the younger witch murmurs surprised.

"I am very talented in finding hidden locations and antiques." the older woman proclaims proudly.

"I believe you." she promises and gets closer to Croix when she notices people giving them weird looks.

"Don't separate from me." Croix warns her. "The witches that come to these places are not the kindest or warmest ones."

"I can see that." Akko notices one of them giving Croix, who was in her body, a dangerous look.

Using her hand to make the other witch notice her holding her wand, she puts an arm around Croix and keeps her eyes on the woman in front of them. As if understanding her message, the strange witch stops looking at Croix and moves away from them.

"Very good Akko." Croix compliments her.

"Well, you can look very menacing and intimidating if you wish to Croix-Sensei." Akko chuckles softly.

"Now, the store should be here." the lilac-haired woman promises her and takes out her wand.

"Is your magic back?"

"Not yet, but this door will only open to customers that have already been here." she says and the moment her wand touches the door, it opens.

"Again, you just happened to find this place?" Akko gives her a knowing look.

"This place moves around a lot. So perhaps I was in it once or twice when I was younger."

"Moves around?" the brunette asks curiously.

"Yes, there is a spell around the store that will keep its location hidden from the magic police."

"And nothing about this made you think that whatever you bought from here could be dangerous or illegal?!" Akko shrieks angrily.

"I wasn't thinking much, ok!" Croix retorts bitterly. "I was just so excited about finding the stone that I didn't think about the possible consequences."

"That's just so you, Croix-Sensei." the younger witch can't stop herself from chuckling.

"I am sorry Akko." the older woman apologizes honestly.

"I know." Akko smiles softly at her and rings the bell so that the owner knows they're there. "Hello?" she asks carefully.

"Customers!" an older woman exclaims happily but freezes when she sees Akko. "Sorry, we're closed."

"No way!" the brunette uses her wand to freeze the woman. "You will not run away."

"Akko!" Croix is surprised by the brunette's quickness.

"She was ready to run!" Akko defends her actions.

"I wasn't criticizing you! I was going to congratulate you."

"Oh, you were?" the brunette blushes. "Thank you."

"Why are you here?" the older witch spats at her. "All sales are final."

"Even if what you sold me is dangerous and can put you in jail?" Croix asks her knowingly.

"The stone, you two touched it at the same time…" she chuckles knowingly. "You're here so I can help you break the curse."

"You knew what it did when you sold it to me." the lilac-haired woman says angrily. "Reverse the curse and get rid of this stone."

"Why should I help you?" the older witch asks cheekily.

"Because you sold her the stone!" Akko retorts angrily.

"And she was the one that bought it."

"Can't argue that." the brunette witch closes her eyes. "What can we do to make you change your mind?"

"First you can take this spell off me." the older witch says softly.

"Akko…" Croix warns her.

"We have to do what she says." the younger girl murmurs and let's go of her magic.

The moment she does, the two Luna Nova witches see the store owner grab her own wand and point it at them.

"I'll take back the stone and reverse the curse only if you catch me." she smirks and makes all the objects around them come to live.

"Croix go follow her!" Akko tells her while using her magic to keep the objects away from them. "Since you don't have magic, I'll shield us."

"Ok!" Croix says and runs right behind the older witch. "Shit, she's fast for her age!" she screams but is surprised when a couple of minutes go by and she's not exhausted at all. "Akko, you're so fit!"

"Unlike you who is close to dying!" the brunette witch screams from behind her.

"I guess all that running you do while avoiding spells or running away from creatures has given you great stamina."

"Not a good time for jokes like that." Akko reminds her while keeping the weird creatures the older witch had cast away from them. "Where is that witch?!"

"She's there!" Croix screams and is ready to finally catch her when two golem monsters form beside her.

Taking her wand out, the lilac-haired witch realizes that she still doesn't have her magic back.

"Akko!" she screams and notices Akko being entertained by other two similar creatures.

"Croix-Sensei!" the brunette witch uses a small explosion to push the golems away and is rapidly sprinting towards her.

Nevertheless, Croix knows that the younger witch won't be able to shield her.

Closing her eyes, she's prepared for the worst but instead of a hit coming her way she feels a strong wave of magic making the golem explode.

Turning around, she sees Diana taking a deep breath and kneeling on the ground because of magic exhaustion.

"Diana?!" she shrieks confused and that's when she sees Chariot hitting the other two golems with her legs. "Chariot?!"

Realizing that Croix-Sensei was now safe, Akko turns around to look for her girlfriend and freezes in fear when she notices her on the ground.

"Diana!" Akko screams when she sees her girlfriend has run out of magic. "I'm coming!" she promises and uses her own weird spells to hit the creatures that were coming towards Diana. "Stay away from my girlfriend!" she yells and concentrates all her magic on the golem coming her way. "Diphulaniado!" she yells and sees the golem exploding in tiny pieces.

Not even caring about the fact that she was exhausted and almost ready to pass out, she gets to where Diana is and sits in front of her, being careful of checking her for injuries.

"Thank Jennifer you're alright!" she exclaims relieved and hugs the blonde witch tightly. "When I saw you on the floor I was so worried…"

Diana, meanwhile, had been staring at every action and gesture the older witch did.

And, if there was one thing Diana was certain of, it was that she knew all of her girlfriend's mannerisms and reactions.

"Akko?" she asks confused and opens her mouth in shock when the lilac-haired woman nods in confirmation. "But how…"

"Croix-Sensei…" Akko simply says and that's all Diana needs to know. "How did you find us?"

"We restored the Leyline you…" the blonde witch stops herself. "That Professor Croix casted inside the infirmary."

"I see…" the brunette witch smiles softly at her girlfriend. "I assume Ursula-Sensei is also here?"

"Yes, she went to help you, or at least who she thinks is you, when she saw you on the floor."

"Good…" Akko says while closing her eyes. "Because I feel like I will pass out at any moment." she finishes saying and faints.

"Great…" Diana murmurs while caressing Akko's, well, Professor Croix's hair.

This was very confusing.

Meanwhile, Croix was getting up from the ground where she had been laying. Grabbing her wand, she finally feels it reacting to her magic, which meant that she can use it again.

Taking a look around her, she sees Akko had destroyed the remaining golem and that she was passed on top of Diana's legs. A little perturbed by the image, the older woman refocuses on the task of finding the prankster witch before she's stopped by two strong arms.

"Akko!" Chariot tells her softly. "It's over."

"It's not!" she says rapidly while pointing towards the golems. "We need to find the witch that cast those golems."

"Why?"

"Because she's the only one that can break the curse that Akko and I have." she says quickly and freezes when she realizes she told Chariot the whole truth.

"A curse, you're under a curse?" Ursula asks shocked. "And did you just refer to yourself in third person?"

Huffing in annoyance at Chariot's slowness, Croix grabs her tightly and kisses her on the lips, making the older woman open her eyes in shock.

"Akko!" the red-haired witch exclaims shocked. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not Akko!" she huffs insulted. "Really, can't you recognize me from the way I kiss you?!"

Opening her eyes in shock, now Ursula understands what is happening, connecting all the events that had happened during the day with the strange revelation she just experienced.

"Croix?" she whispers numbly.

"Yes!" her girlfriend (?) says happily.

"But…"

"Not right now!" Croix tells her quickly. "First help me catch that cunning witch."

"You mean this one?" Ursula asks confused while making the older witch appear all tied up.

"You did it!" the lilac-haired woman says surprised. "How?"

"I crashed into her and when I smelled your magic on her I stopped her."

"I was not expecting you to have other friends." the older witch says defeated. "That was cheating."

"This is not a game!" Croix says insulted. "We caught you, now return us to our own bodies."

"I cannot do that."

"But you said you knew how!"

"You…" Ursula stares menacingly at the prankster witch. "Will help them return to their own bodies or I will make your life a living hell."

Gulping in fear, the older witch nods in agreement.

"I cannot help you because only you two can return to your own bodies."

"But how? We touched the stone and nothing happened." Croix asks confused.

"You need to chant a spell while touching the stone. And, it has to be done by the witch that first touched the stone."

Nodding in understanding, and after being told the spell by the older witch, Croix closes her eyes and says the reverse words.

"Did it work?" Chariot asks her after letting the old witch go.

"I'm not sure…" Croix says confused. "Because I feel al…" she faints before she finishes her sentence.

"Great…" Ursula whispers while preventing Croix from falling to the ground. "Now, how do I take you all home?"

LWALWALWA

"Robots!" Croix screams while waking up and noticing that she's in her bed. "What?"

Frantically standing up, the older woman runs towards the bathroom and exhales in relief when she realizes that it's her own reflection the one staring back at her.

"So it was all a dream…"

"What was a dream?" she hears Chariot's familiar voice and can't stop herself from freezing.

"Nothing!" she senses she's in danger.

"Perhaps you were thinking about the fact that Akko and you switched bodies and forgot to tell Diana and I about it?"

"How is Akko?!" she asks worriedly to her girlfriend who appeases her quickly.

"She woke up before you and after explaining to Diana and I what happened, the two of them left for their date."

"Lucky them."

"They were not the ones responsible for this whole mess." the red-haired woman reminds her tersely.

Croix chuckles softly.

"We didn't want to worry you."

"You didn't want us to find out." Ursula corrects her girlfriend. "So instead of explaining what happened you took us all to the magic black market to catch a dark witch."

"I thought I could fix it all before our date."

"Croix…" her girlfriend says disappointed. "Apart from the fact that I'm very angry at you for not telling me about this earlier, I'm more disappointed about the fact that you could have hurt Akko while using such complex spells on her body…"

"I know…" Croix whispers softly because she had realized her rash actions could have hurt the brunette witch as well.

"You know that nothing, not a date or anything like that, can come before the girls." Ursula reminds her.

"I'm sorry." the lilac-haired woman says while tears fall from her eyes. "I just… I was so worried about fixing things before our date so that I could give you the gift I had bought you."

"Gift?" Ursula asks surprised.

"The stone that caused this incident." Croix says dejectedly. "I bought it at that market thinking that it was a memory stone but I didn't check very well because I was really excited that the stone was red like your eyes and hair." she looks down in sadness. "And, I did drink a protecting potion before opening the Leyline that would stop me from doing magic the moment Akko's body felt it was getting weak."

"So that's why you couldn't use your magic during the fight." Ursula says relieved and then thinks about everything her girlfriend had just told her. "So basically you bought the stone, from the black market, because it reminded you of me."

"It sounds really dumb when you say it like that…" the inventor murmurs embarrassed. "But when I was buying the stone it seemed really romantic."

This makes the former performer silently stare at her girlfriend before laughing loudly.

"Only you…" she chokes out while trying to control her laughter. "Would buy a stone because of its color and not its properties."

"I thought it would complement you really well!"

"Croix, you didn't need to buy me a present like that."

"I did because yesterday was our anniversary." Croix whispers softly.

"Our anniversary?" Ursula asks shocked.

"It's been one month since I returned to Luna Nova and confessed my feelings to you." she reminds the younger woman.

"I forgot about it..." the red-haired witch says apologetically. "I'm sorry Croix."

"It wasn't your fault." it was Finneran's.

"I…" Ursula says with a soft smile. "I'm still a little upset at you."

"Only a little?" she asks hopefully.

"I did basically try to seduce Akko." the former performer shrieks embarrassed.

"Well, I did kiss Diana as well…" Croix shrugs her shoulders. "Besides, it's not like we haven't seen them in compromising positions."

"Croix!" Ursula scolds her. "That doesn't justify the fact that Akko saw me naked."

"But she has seen us naked already!" the lilac-haired woman reminds her. "In fact, Diana has also seen us naked." this makes Ursula blush even more than before.

"You're not making me feel any better…"

"Well, I definitely know what I can do to make you feel better." she says seductively to the younger witch who blushes.

"Really Croix, you think I will have sex with you after all you have put us through today?"

"One can only hope." she smiles warmly and opens her arms so that she can hug her girlfriend. "Besides, it's not every day that we can celebrate our anniversary."

This makes Ursula huff in surrender.

"Fine, but tomorrow I will make you make it up to the girls and I for what you did."

"Yes ma'am." Croix salutes her before taking her to the bed.


	15. Smutty Luna Nova

Sucy creates a forgetting dust that she wants to experiment on Akko. And, since it's Luna Nova, things don't go according to plan...

Notes:

I've noticed that today is Diakko Week and I wanted to enter the challenge with a long shot about the two of them! Hence, this monster chapter was created! As you may have noticed, it is rated M and will make the rating of Adventures of Akko Kagari and The Ways... become M! So, warning for mature content!  
Hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as I did writing it and I'm waiting to hear back from you about the first M rated chapter in this series.  
Thank you for your support and kudos!

* * *

"I never knew that it could be so interesting!" Sucy heard Akko say from her desk. "Did vampires really suck the blood from their lovers in order to create an eternal bond?"

"They did! It was the ultimate test that a mate had to do. It was a proof of their everlasting love and loyalty to one another since once a vampire drinks the blood of their soulmate they can no longer feed on other humans." Lotte tells her excitedly.

"I see…" the brunette witch murmurs while taking another look at the book.

"I know!" the fanatic continues explaining. "Although Nightfall may have started as a teenager's book, it became a phenomenon very quickly because it manages to re-imagine their franchise with each new author!"

"I think it has to do more with the fact that new teenagers keep reading the books because of how long the series has lasted rather than the content of the stories." Sucy murmurs from her seat.

"In fact, Luna Nova will start teaching a class based on the stories of Nightfall! I saw it in one of my Nightfall blogs, that the school has hired a Nightfall scholar."

"A Nightfall scholar?" Sucy asks bored. "Really?"

"I didn't even know that one could study things like that." Akko says intrigued. "Did your blog say under what area the new class would be in?"

"Modern Magic." Lotte tells them excitedly. "Isn't it great? Ever since Akko unlocked the Seven Words, the professors here at Luna Nova have taken a new approach to magic and to the magical culture."

"Yeah, too bad that instead of actually introducing useful courses they are opening a Nightfall fan-club class." the pink-haired witch mutters. "Yay Luna Nova."

"Sucy!"

"Don't be like that, Sucy." Akko tells her with a warm smile. "I think it's good that the school is trying to adapt itself to the modern times. Although…" she blushes while staring at Lotte. "I really don't get what we could be learning from a fantasy novel."

"Fantasy?!" Lotte shrieks insulted. "These stories have real species and events that have occurred in the magic world. In fact, vampires did exist."

"Vampires have not been seen in millennia, Lotte." Sucy tells her condescendingly. "And you…" she stares at Akko. "How come you're here instead of being at Diana's room? Ever since you two got together you barely separate from each other."

"Diana and I don't spend all the time together!" the brunette witch says embarrassed.

"You kinda do." Lotte smiles softly at her. "And there's nothing wrong with that." she tells her blushing friend. "But it is strange to see you here."

"Did Diana ask you to not bother her because she needed to study?" Sucy teases her friend who looks offended at the remark. "I think I just remembered that we have a lesson tomorrow for our Ancient Runes class."

Ancient Runes was one subject that Sucy was surprisingly good at. In fact, good enough to enroll in the advanced class with Diana and a couple of other witches who were taking it as well.

Akko and Lotte were at the intro level and hence didn't have to study for the quiz.

"Perhaps she did ask me to give her some time to review for the test." Akko admits softly. "But that doesn't mean that I was bothering her or something like that."

"I bet…" Sucy smirks evilly. "You were distracting her by doing other stuff." she says and knows she guessed right when Akko blushes even more than before.

"Sucy!" the brunette witch says embarrassed while grabbing her stuff.

"Where are you going?" Lotte asks confused because she didn't understand why Akko was leaving.

"Somewhere where Sucy doesn't bother me." she huffs annoyed.

"Sucy…" the pixie-haired witch says calmly.

"Fine, fine." Sucy stands up from her work desk and walks softly towards Akko. "I am sorry for all the things I said."

This makes Akko stop moving and stare shockingly at her friend.

"Did you just apologize?" the Japanese girl asks surprised. "I wasn't expecting to you actually do that."

"Well, you did just ask me to do that." the pink-haired witch says bored. "But now that I think about it, perhaps I shouldn't have done that." she opens her palm and blows on it, making some powder land on Akko's nose.

"Sucy!" Lotte shrieks while watching Akko lose consciousness and fall to the ground. "What did you do to her?!"

"I just gave her a forgetting dust. The dust makes her fall asleep and forget the last couple of hours that just went through."

"Last hours?!"

"Don't worry, when she wakes up she should remember that Diana asked her for some alone time in order to study for her test." Sucy appeases her friend.

"But why even give Akko that?" Lotte asks defeated while using her magic to put Akko in her bed.

"Because she reminded me that I never apologize to others." the pink-haired witch says obviously. "And, because it has become tradition for Akko to try my inventions." she chuckles warmly and returns to her seat with a wicked smile.

"Why are you smiling like that?" the pixie-haired witch asks carefully.

She knew what that smile meant on her friend's face.

"Let's just say…" Sucy smirks devilishly. "That Akko's dreams right now will be pretty interesting."

"Why?" Lotte asks worriedly.

"Didn't she just spend this whole time reading a story about vampires?" the pink-haired girl chuckles. "The way my forgetting dust works is that it makes the person that inhaled the dust relive the memories they want to forget."

LWALWALWA

Opening her eyes, Akko quickly takes a look around her and notices that her stop is coming up. Although the weather here wasn't the greatest, the brunette was excited about finally arriving to Luna Nova. She had read many reviews about the school and knew that it was the best one when it came to teaching alchemy and magic. In fact, she knew it first-hand because of her aunt, who worked at the school full-time as a teacher.

"Akko?!" she hears someone calling for her and the Japanese girls sees her aunt Ursula smiling brightly at her.

"Oba!" Akko shrieks excitedly while running to meet the red-haired woman. "You didn't have to come get me!"

"Of course I had to!" Ursula tells her with a happy smile while pouring a potion over her luggage so it would shrink down. "It's not every day that my favorite niece comes to start her studies at Luna Nova. And, it's not every day that I can take her on a broom ride." she points towards her broom.

"Really?!" the Japanese girl asks excitedly. "We will go to the school on that?"

"It's a broom enhanced with a flying potion." the older woman explains calmly to her. "Thought it would be a nice way to officially welcome you to Luna Nova."

"You didn't have to, Oba!" Akko says while hugging her aunt happily. "Thank you."

"I have missed you very much Akko." Ursula says softly.

"So have I!" the brunette exclaims happily while chucking and grabbing her stuff from the floor. "I'm finally here at Luna Nova."

"Indeed." the red-haired woman chuckles. "How is my sister doing?"

"She's doing fine!" Akko smiles softly. "And I do miss her." she admits while blushing. "But don't tell her I said that."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Ursula says warmly. "In fact, I'm surprised Helene allowed you to come here this year and not wait until the next term."

"Well, she couldn't say much when I explained to her how you came to Luna Nova when you were my age. And, that with you here I would also become one of the most successful alchemists of our era."

This makes Ursula blush brightly.

"You embarrass me Akko." the older woman says while softly hitting the younger girl. "But I really am happy to have you here."

"I know." Akko smiles warmly. "I did promise you that I was going to come to Luna Nova, Oba."

"Yes, yes." Ursula smirks. "In fact, my sister did call me before you left, saying that it was my fault that her daughter wanted to become a witch."

"Still with saying it like that." the brunette huffs annoyed. "We are alchemist, not witches."

"That's what I keep telling her as well!" the older woman exclaims and both alchemists laugh happily.

"Oba…" Akko says seriously and this makes the older woman focus intently on her niece. "I will become the best alchemist this school has ever seen." the brunette witch promises vehemently. "I will make you proud."

"Just be yourself, Akko." Ursula smiles brightly at her. "Because the way you are, right now, already makes me proud." the older alchemist says while stopping her broom. "We're here." she says to Akko who is watching the castle with eyes wide open.

"This is incredible!" Akko exclaims happily while doing her best to grasp everything she was seeing. "Will I be staying at the castle?"

"Both students and staff stay there." her aunt tells her with a soft smile. "So, I will be able to help you whenever you need." she points towards a group of students. "As you can see, most of the students that are also starting classes this semester have arrived. How about you follow them and I'll see you after dinner?"

"Ok!" the brunette tells her and hugs her one last time. "Thank you for everything Oba!" she exclaims happily before running towards the other girls and falling into line with them.

And, because Akko was Akko, while she was running she happened to crash with one of the girls.

"Ouch…" the Japanese girl says while caressing her head.

"Watch it!" a black-haired girl told her angrily.

Looking up, Akko can see that a blonde girl is laying on the floor, that being the result of her collision.

"I'm so sorry!" she apologizes immediately and stretches her hand so she can help the girl get up. "I was just so excited about starting classes that I…" she stops speaking when she sees the eyes of the blonde girl.

They were the most beautiful shade of blue that she had ever seen.

"You?" the girl asks her when she spends too long staring at her.

"Sorry again!" Akko exclaims embarrassed and without thinking grabs the girl's hand to help her up.

When their hands touch, Akko feels like an electric shock going through their hands, almost as if a connection had been established between the two of them.

The young girl, similarly, was staring at Akko with surprised and intrigued eyes.

"That is completely fine." the girl says firmly while standing up and immediately taking her hand back. "But please, do be careful when you are walking around the school."

"Of course." Akko murmurs embarrassed because the black-haired girl that had screamed at her earlier was now laughing at her.

Somehow noticing this, the blonde girl silently stares at her friend, which makes her stop laughing immediately.

"You are new, correct?" she asks Akko who numbly nods. "My name is Diana Cavendish and I am a second-year alchemist student here at Luna Nova." she bows her head while introducing herself. "Domo."

Pleasantly surprised, Akko immediately bows her head as well.

"My name is Atsuko Kagari but everyone calls me Akko. Domo hajimemashite."

This makes Diana smile warmly at her.

"Indeed." Diana answers her softly. "I will be seeing you again, Miss Kagari." she promises before walking away from her.

"Diana wait!" the black-haired witch says while staring daggers at her.

Confused, Akko returns to the line and manages to hear one of the professors say her name and room number.

"Kagari, room 231!" the older woman yells and Akko immediately goes to her room, too exhausted and confused about what had happened to her a couple of minutes ago.

Nevertheless, when she arrives to her dormitory she realizes that her two other roommates are already there.

"Hi." she says with a warm smile. "My name is Akko Kagari and I am a first-year alchemy student. I hope we can be friends and have a good time while being here."

The pixie-haired girl that had been putting away some of her stuff gives her a warm smile.

"Welcome Akko, my name is Lotte Yanson and I'm also a first-year here at Luna Nova. I am studying fairy languages and I hope we can all get along."

"My name is Sucy Manbavaran and I am a first-year poisonous herbs student. I don't mind having you here as long as you don't touch my plants." she says bored.

"Alright!" the brunette smirks and quickly puts her stuff away in order to have dinner. "Want to come have dinner with me?"

"Alright!"

"Since I will have to go eat anyway…" her roommates respond and the three of them walk together to the dining room.

"Wow!" Akko says surprised after seeing how big and spacious the room was. "This is incredible."

"They say that the dining room was enchanted by one of the school's first alchemist in order to make it this extravagant." Lotte tells them calmly. "And, that another one placed a food incantation so that one could get whatever they wanted by imagining the food with their mind."

"So basically we're eating imaginary food." Sucy murmurs and sits down in one of the tables. "Interesting." she says when a plate full of weird plants and mushrooms appears. "This will work great for my experiments."

Akko, meanwhile had been thinking about some ramen and sushi, realizing that she had been starving since she arrived. Very quickly, the food appears in front of her.

"Sugoi!" the Japanese girl exclaims happily and starts to eat the food.

"Is it good?" Lotte asks her while eating her own plate of pasta.

"It's not bad for imaginary food." she shrugs and manages to hear a chuckle coming from one of the tables behind her.

Turning to see who had laughed, Akko watches Diana trying her best to act normally. In fact, were it not for the fact that the blonde alchemist was blushing, the brunette would have thought that nothing was going on.

"You are still staring Akko." Sucy tells her while not looking up from her plate.

"I know, I just thought I heard something." she murmurs while looking away.

"That's Diana Cavendish." Lotte tells them softly. "They say she's one of the best alchemist Luna Nova has ever had."

This makes Akko get interested in the conversation.

"I heard that too." Sucy says bored. "Apparently she is a prodigy that is being taught by Ursula Callistis herself."

So her aunt was giving private lessons to Diana. That must mean that the blonde witch is really good.

"Yeah, but I heard instead that Diana is being taught by Croix Meridies."

"Croix Meridies?" Akko asks.

"Yes, she teaches object alchemy here at Luna Nova." Lotte tells her softly. "My mother told me that she's one of the best object alchemist in this new era."

"Wow." the brunette says surprised.

Although she didn't care much about object alchemy, she did know that the art was very difficult and that the people who performed it required rigorous years of potion and strength training.

"Maybe she's learning from both." Sucy shrugs. "It's not that shocking for a pupil to have two teachers."

"Yeah…" Lotte says softly. "I don't know, there's just something about her that doesn't quite fit."

"What do you mean Lotte?" Akko asks confused.

"Lotte comes from a family of fairies." Sucy explains to her simply.

"And we fairies possess the eyes of light." Lotte adds as well. "Meaning that we can see the colors of the soul."

"And?" Akko is still confused.

"When I see you…" the pixie-haired girl tells her while blushing. "I can find shades of yellow and green, colors that show your happiness and determination. It makes me realize your true character and self." she then becomes serious. "But, when I look at Diana, no matter how hard I try; I cannot see any color inside her."

Akko was ready to ask Lotte more questions but is interrupted before she can do so by her aunt, who comes sit down next to her and makes everyone in the table forget the topic they had been discussing.

LWALWALWALWA

During the next couple of weeks, Akko sees Diana Cavendish many times. In fact, she had quickly realized that she tremendously enjoyed the company of the blonde alchemist. Not only was she smart and beautiful, but she was also honest about her desires and her ambitions. That, to the Japanese girl, had been quite refreshing and endearing to see. Hence, unconsciously, she had started to meet with Diana after class in order to practice her spells. Also, she had cooked food so that the two of them could have lunch and talk about their lives; how Diana had learned Japanese and what had made Akko come to Luna Nova.

Slowly, but surely, the brunette witch was realizing that the feelings she had for Diana were becoming stronger and surer. Nevertheless, she was afraid of saying something because when it came to her emotions Diana was an enigma. Akko could never be truly sure of what her friend was feeling and that made the brunette witch hesitate to act.

Because although she knew that people in Europe were different when it came to same-sex relationships, she had come from a country where the topic was taboo and unspoken of.

Still, she didn't want to focus too much on her feelings and start failing her classes. Specially since she had promised her aunt that she was going to be the best alchemist this school had ever seen. Hence, although she was getting the best grades of the class, Akko was also taking extra classes with Ursula in order to learn a little more advanced alchemy.

"Good job Akko!" her aunt tells her with a bright smile after she successfully transformed some bronze into silver. "That potion and incantation are not easy to make."

"Thank you Oba." Akko smiles warmly. "Your guidance and tips were the ones that made the difference."

"Nonsense Akko! Stop being so humble! You're very talented!"

"Must come from the family." she smirks when Ursula blushes as well.

"You cheeky!" the red-haired woman exclaims and is ready to chase her when they both hear a laugh coming from the door.

"So this is how you can get Professor Callistis to blush." a beautiful woman with lilac-hair and turquoise eyes says wickedly.

"Croix!" Ursula exclaims surprised while trying her best to calm down.

"You're Croix Meridies?" Akko asks softly.

Although she had met most of the staff at Luna Nova, Professor Meridies was not seen very much around campus. In fact, some people joked that she didn't really exist because no one saw her apart from the time when her classes began.

And unfortunately, Akko had not enrolled on object alchemy.

"Indeed." Croix tells her with a warm smile. "And you must be Atsuko Kagari, first-year student of alchemy and niece of our dear Professor Callistis."

"It is a pleasure to meet you." Akko says quickly while bowing her head in a sign of respect.

"The pleasure is all mine dear." she then looks at Ursula who is watching the scene with wary eyes. "I am sorry I interrupted your class…" she apologizes quickly. "But I was hoping I could talk with you, Professor Callistis."

"Don't worry Professor Meridies, we were already done." she gives Akko a warm smile before hugging her tight. "See you tomorrow Akko."

Nodding in understanding, she grabs her stuff quickly and heads towards the door.

"It was a pleasure meeting you Professor Meridies."

"The pleasure was mine Akko." the lilac-haired alchemist tells her honestly and Akko starts leaving the room.

"You haven't told her yet." she manages to hear Croix say calmly.

"I… I don't know how." her aunt responds worriedly and Akko senses that a magical barrier was placed inside the office.

Apparently, they didn't want anyone to listen what they were discussing…

A little confused, but nevertheless excited about the prospect of telling Lotte and Sucy about Professor Meridies, Akko fails to realize that it's past curfew and that technically she wasn't supposed to be up and walking around the hallways.

And, because Akko was Akko, someone happened to be doing the rounds in this area of the building right now.

"Miss Kagari." the brunette witch turns around and sees dazzling blue eyes staring at her. "May I inquire as to why you are not in your room?" her friend gives her a teasing smile.

 _Oh right, I'm not supposed to be here…_

"I was having some extra lessons with Professor Callistis." she explains quickly.

"Professor Callistis gives you lessons?" the blonde alchemist asks intrigued.

"Well, she kinda has to…" Akko chuckles warmly. "She's my aunt and I tend to be a little too demanding with her."

"I see…" Diana says softly. "Still, I know Professor Callistis only teaches the best alchemists, so, if she's giving you lessons after class then that must mean that you're good."

"Thank you." the Japanese girl blushes. "I've also heard that you're quite good." she jokes and watches Diana chuckle warmly.

"Indeed." the older girl says simply.

"Well…" Akko doesn't know what else to say because Diana had been too curt and direct with her answer. "I guess I'll be going back to my room." she promises but before she can move she feels a pair of hands softly but firmly push her to the wall.

Confused, the brunette witch realizes that Diana is in front of her and that she's staring at her with agonizing eyes.

"Diana?" Akko asks softly because for some strange reason watching Diana like this made her heart break. "What is wrong?"

"Akko…" the blonde witch whimpers while closing her eyes. "This… This is just too hard."

"What is too hard?" the Japanese girl had to know in order to help her dearest friend.

"Staying away from you." Diana whispers and this makes Akko open her eyes in shock.

"Diana?" she asks confused because she didn't want to make a mistake or assume something that wasn't correct.

Diana, instead of answering her, just closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, moaning and biting her lips.

"I thought…" the blonde alchemist says while placing her hands on her cheeks. "That I could be strong enough." she whispers with a sad smile on her face. "That I could let you have a normal life and time as a student here at Luna Nova." she continues saying. "But I'm too selfish."

"Diana!" Akko grabs the blonde's hands tightly and forces the older girl to stare at her. "I don't understand what you're saying! Please…" she begs the blonde girl. "Please explain to me what is going on. Because every time I see you…" she looks down in embarrassment. "I feel this strange, warm sensation in my chest." she feels Diana's hands moving her face up. "And I don't want to assume something and then be completely wrong. Not when it comes to this…" she whispers while staring at Diana's lips.

Watching Diana closing her eyes in surrender, Akko is surprised when the blonde girl kisses her desperately on the lips.

Moaning, the brunette witch doesn't think twice about grabbing her friend tightly and bringing her closer to her, intensifying the kissing the two of them were doing.

"Akko…" Diana whimpers while using her hands to caress her body. "I… I…" she's saying but something makes her stop abruptly and place herself in front of Akko in a protective stance.

"Diana." Professor Finneran says firmly. "And Miss Kagari."

"Professor Finneran." Akko says confused because of what had been happening and the fact that this woman just happened to be here during the middle of the night. "We, this…"

"Miss Kagari was just coming from some extra lessons with Professor Callistis and I was asking her about it." Diana responds calmly. "Since I am the alchemist in charge of tonight's rounds."

"I see…" Professor Finneran replies simply. "Well, I suggest we let Miss Kagari go to bed since I know she has a physical alchemy exam tomorrow."

"Yes, of course." Akko murmurs more confused than before and gives Diana one more longing look before heading back to her room.

"Oh, and Miss Kagari…" Professor Finneran says abruptly. "Do be careful during this next couple of days. We will be having a red moon, and, red moons always tend to bring out our most…" she stares at Diana. "Animalistic sides out."

LWALWALWALWA

 _Red Moon: A once every four months event that makes the moon turn to a darkish red. Mythical creatures and fairies gain alchemic properties during this time._

"That's it?!" Akko huffs annoyed after closing another one of her Magic Terms book. Ever since that strange talk, and make-out night with Diana, the brunette witch had only seen the blonde alchemist from afar. Every time she had tried to approach her, Akko could notice how Diana knowingly changed course or engaged in conversations with other people in order to avoid her.

And, although Akko knew better than to get too attached, she felt that what had transpired between the two of them had been something deeper. That the fact that Diana had seemed so desperate and longing had meant that she had been fighting those impulses for a long time.

But then if that was the truth, why was she avoiding her now?

 _I swear some things in this school make me feel so confused…_

Taking a quick look at her watch, Akko realizes that it's almost 7pm and that she's going to be late for her extra lesson with her aunt.

Putting the book back to where it was, Akko runs the whole way to the Astronomy Tower, making sure of not crashing into anyone or anything that could delay her from arriving on time.

Once she gets to the classroom, Akko is ready to say her usual welcoming sentence before something makes her just stop and stare in shock.

And that something was watching her aunt having sex with the object alchemy professor…

"Croix…" Ursula says while staring at the lilac-haired woman desperately.

"I know…" Croix whispers to her while caressing her breasts and kissing her mouth. "Very soon, my darling…"

Moaning, Ursula closes her eyes and lets Croix continue moving her hands and lips around her body, the red-haired woman not worrying about the screams coming out of her mouth.

Mortified, Akko knows that she should move and run away from there. But, there's something about the act that she was seeing in front of her that prevented her to do so. And, embarrassedly, the brunette had to admit that what she was watching was making her get very excited.

She was a horrible human being.

"I'm ready…" Croix says suddenly and Akko needs to double focus on the woman's eyes in order to realize that they had become red and that fangs had protruded from her teeth.

"I'm yours…" her aunt says desperately. "Take what you need."

"I love you." the lilac-haired professor promises vehemently. "My one true soulmate for all eternity." she vows and bites her on her neck, small red trails of blood falling from the professor's mouth.

"What…" Akko whispers confused and she's not dumb enough to not realize what she was watching.

It was a vampire's blood ritual.

And her aunt was the soulmate of a vampire.

"This can't be…" she says loud enough to finally make Ursula open her eyes and stare worriedly at her.

"Akko…" the older woman shrieks but closes her eyes and moans wantonly when Croix keeps sucking her blood.

"I'm sorry." Croix says wantonly. "I can't stop."

Running away from the classroom, Akko is now desperately trying to forget what she had just seen.

She didn't have a problem with vampires. And, ironically, she had learned about vampires from her aunt years ago.

Then again, her aunt could have taught her about vampires because of the fact that she was the soulmate of one of them. Not that she blamed her aunt for it. In fact, she knew that for a vampire to find their soulmate it was truly special. That it didn't happen very often and that when a vampire found their soulmate and consummated their love, they could recover a part of their lost soul.

Her aunt had explained to her all those years ago that, when a vampire found their soulmate, it was the moment when the vampire realized that their new lives had just started.

They called it a new beginning. An awakening.

Hence, how could she be angry at her aunt for experiencing such a thing?

What she felt was hurt; her aunt hadn't trusted her with that secret and instead had hidden the truth from her.

Exhausted, Akko realizes that her feet had somehow taken her to the forest. Determined to understand what was happening to her and around Luna Nova, Akko lets her consciousness fall asleep and starts to listen to her instincts; which were guiding her inside the woods.

Making sure of not falling and injuring herself, Akko feels like she has walked for a couple of minutes. In fact, when she stops hearing that soft voice talking to her, she opens her eyes and sees that she's in front of a lake.

"This is beautiful…" she whispers in complete awe.

Carefully walking around the area, the brunette witch cannot stop herself from smiling and enjoying the scenery. And perhaps that was one of the good things that Akko had; that she could appreciate beauty and wonder in every situation.

Nevertheless, the alchemist girl knows that she's not here just because of this lake. There was something else that brought her here. Something that was connected to all of the strange things that had been happening to her since she arrived at Luna Nova.

And Akko didn't take too long to realize that it all came down to Diana Cavendish.

How did she realize this? Well, it truly wasn't that difficult for the Japanese girl to connect the dots once she noticed the blonde girl taking a bath in the lake.

Diana Cavendish was swimming around the lake completely naked.

And Akko was blatantly staring at her.

More like devouring her with her eyes.

Deep inside of her, Akko knew what she had to do. She knew what she desired and who she desired.

And if there was one thing could be said about Akko is that she was determined.

To come study at Luna Nova.

To be the best alchemist.

To be with Diana Cavendish.

Taking a deep breath, Akko quickly takes off her clothes and places them on a stone near her. Slowly, but confidently, she starts walking towards the water and hopes that it's not too cold. Luckily, it seemed that Diana placed a potion on it so it would become warm. And, knowing that the moment of truth would come once she entered the water, Akko realized that she wanted desperately for Diana to accept her.

Putting her foot inside the water, Akko notices Diana taking note of this and turning around to face the person invading her privacy. But, when her blue eyes realize that it's her, she notices them changing to a red similar to the one she saw on Professor Croix.

She had been right.

"Akko…" Diana stutters while closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. "What are you doing here?"

"You know why I'm here." she says softly while getting closer to the blonde alchemist.

"No, I don't. So please, put some clothes on and return to Luna Nova."

"Do you really want me to leave, Diana?" Akko asks hesitantly. "And please, be honest with me." she says scared and this makes Diana stare desperately at her.

"Akko!" Diana says angrily while getting closer to her. "It's…" she closes her eyes to think. "It's not a question about what I want." she says dejectedly. "It's about doing the right thing."

"And for you the right thing to do is make me suffer?" she questions her desperately.

This makes the blonde girl stare at her with shocked eyes.

"Make you suffer…" she whispers confused.

"Of course!" now Akko gets angry. "Do you know what you have been doing to us by rejecting this…" she points at the two of them. "This bond that we have between us."

"You…" Diana says shocked. "You know?"

"I didn't know what it was until today." she says softly. "But I've been feeling it since I touched your hand during the first day of class." she admits honestly. "And yet, instead of explaining it to me, of taking responsibility and letting me know that what happened between us was special, you ran away!"

"Akko…"

"No Diana!" Akko realizes that she felt really angry. "It wasn't fair of you to do this to me. To us! We are soulmates, I could feel your pain and your longing for me while we were apart!" she exclaims desperately. "Couldn't you feel mine in return?"

This makes Diana stare dreadfully at her, trying to make sense of what she had just heard.

"Until we consummate our relationship with our soulmate, we vampires cannot feel our partner's feelings…" she admits bitterly. "We get some echoes…" she chuckles sadly. "But I thought that they came from my own desperation and desire."

"So you couldn't know what I felt." Akko says softly. "Did you know that we were soulmates?"

"I didn't know…" Diana tells her desperately. "Akko, I promise you that I didn't know…" she gets close to Akko and grabs her hands tightly. "When we're young vampires, we can have blood mates. Until we reach the age of vampire maturity, which in my case will be next year, we can feed from blood mates so our bodies get stronger. In order to make the experience pleasurable to both parties, we can create a temporary bond."

"Temporary bond…" she asks confused.

"It's similar to the bond a soulmate and a vampire would have." the blonde vampire explains quickly. "Except that it's much simpler and meaningless since the only feeling that the party experiences is lust. Apart from that, we vampires cannot feel the emotions of anyone else but our soulmate. That's why we rejoice when we find them."

"But Professor Croix and Ursula…"

"Professor Croix is a grown-up vampire with a soulmate. So, she didn't need to feed once she reached her growth-maturity. When she met Professor Ursula, which happened when she came to teach at Luna Nova two years ago, they performed the ritual and are now bound to one another. That's why vampires are allowed to be with humans; because most of us don't drink blood. And the ones that do have specific blood mates to help them."

"Barbara and Hannah…" she is now starting to understand.

"They are my blood mates." she confesses softly.

"But they have feelings for you." Akko is blunt and direct.

"Feelings that unfortunately will never be corresponded." she says sadly. "Since we vampires can only love our soulmate."

"Then why were you so afraid of being near me?" she is curious. "Couldn't you have realized that I was your soulmate and not a blood mate?"

"It's not common at all for young vampires to find their soulmates before reaching maturity. Specially since we are the only ones that can perform blood rituals. Hence, when I touched your hand, I thought it meant that you could be a good candidate to be my next blood mate."

"But you did approach me." Akko says confused. "We talked and we spent so much time together. I thought that it was because you cared about me."

"It was because of that." Diana whispers softly. "I felt a true connection with you, one that didn't come from my desire to drink blood. And I cherished it because I thought it meant that we could be friends or even something more."

"Can that be possible for a vampire?"

"We can feel friendly love, or love for a family member or sadness. We can even feel desire and lust. But, what we can never feel without our soulmate is true romantic love."

"So when you kissed me…"

"It was because I desired it." she says immediately. "And, I was confused by it because I believed you were a blood mate candidate. I believed that my feelings of friendship were getting mixed with my lust that came from being a vampire. And I guess I didn't want to admit that my feelings for you were occurring because of your blood and not because of who you are."

"And is that why you have feelings for me?" Akko whispers vulnerably. "Because of my blood?"

"No." Diana promises her desperately while getting closer and staring at her. "Akko, I love you." she promises softly. "And I was foolishly trying to stay away from you because I thought I was protecting you. But instead I did the opposite; I hurt you and I only cared about my own feelings."

"Diana…"

"And I know that I have no right to ask you for forgiveness…" she continues saying softly. "Or that I should even try to ask for it." she chuckles bitterly. "But I am a vampire and it happens to be that we are very selfish." she gives Akko a sad smile. "Please…" she says while lowering her head and bowing in front of Akko. "Give me another chance."

This makes Akko stare at the blonde vampire in front of her with a warm smile on her face.

"Diana…" she whispers while getting close to her and raising her head so she can look at her. "Do you see where I am?" she asks softly to a confused Diana. "I came all the way to this lake, took my clothes off and basically told you that I love you…" she chuckles. "So…"

"You love me?" Akko hears Diana whisper and that's when she sees how much it meant to Diana to hear that.

Taking a deep breath and helping the blonde vampire to stand up, Akko is ready to finally admit to Diana what she had felt from the moment they touched hands.

"Diana Cavendish…" she smiles warmly. "From the first moment I saw you I was captivated by you. And, the more we talked, the more I realized that I liked you because of who you are. Those feelings of like quickly became something much deeper. Something that I had not been expecting to find when I left Japan and came to Luna Nova. In fact, I was only hoping to become a great alchemist." she chuckles happily. "Instead, what happened is that I met you and fell completely in love with you."

"Akko…" Diana whispers happily.

"So please…" she asks while bending in typical Japanese position. "Would you become my soulmate?" she waits for an answer and instead hears Diana laughing beautifully.

Smiling in return, she feels the blonde vampire take her face and pull it up, making sure of staring at her while giving her an answer.

"It would be my honor." Diana promises her while tears were falling from her eyes. "In fact…" she suddenly gives Akko a devilishly smile and Akko is honestly confused about what was happening. "Why don't we do it now?"

"Now?" Akko stutters shocked. "But are you sure… You were just crying…"

"Tears of happiness." the blonde alchemist says while getting close to Akko and hugging her tight, making their naked bodies touch one another. "Besides, this red moon is perfect for our bond, darling." she kisses and nibbles her ear. "If we miss it we will have to wait another four months…"

Four months!

Hell no.

"You vampires are so weird…" Akko whimpers and let's go of her inhibitions.

"You have no idea." Diana promises her and crashes her lips with Akko, making sure of using her tongue while moving her hands around Akko's breasts.

"Diana!" the brunette exclaims because she was feeling much more than what she should have been feeling.

"It's the bond." the blonde vampire explains while moaning and kissing her again. "It makes you feel what I feel while making me feel what you feel."

"So right now I'm feeling double?" Akko can believe that because she's close to fainting. "Incredible."

"I've never experienced such a thing." Diana cries while massaging Akko's stomach. "It's almost as if I can feel my own hand touching my stomach." she whimpers when Akko bites her lip.

"Diana…" Akko groans desperately. "Too much talking."

"Understood." the blonde alchemist grins and with her extra strength carries Akko towards a rock.

"Diana!"

"You said we were going too slow." Diana says innocently. "I plan on correcting that."

"By putting me on top of a rock, why would you do th… Oh God!" she screams when she feels Diana's tongue around her folds. "Diana!"

"Akko…" the blonde murmurs and again returns to licking and moving her fingers around Akko's entrance. "You are really beautiful."

Not capable of answering Diana back, Akko merely closes her eyes and continues screaming and moaning her soulmate's name. She had never expected to feel such a thing. And, the fact that these sensations were coming from Diana's touch and Diana herself; it made Akko reach Nirvana, heaven or whatever you wanted to call it.

"I…" she whispers while caressing Diana's hair. "I'm so close."

"I'm almost ready." Diana promises her while staring at her with desperate red eyes. "Before we can finish the ritual, a vampire's fangs must grow to the appropriate length." she explains between kissing Akko's breasts and moving her fingers inside of her. "And that can only happen while pleasuring our soulmate." she kisses Akko and makes her feel her teeth.

"They're getting longer." Akko chokes out in complete awe and desire.

"Only for you…" the blonde tells her desperately. "Forever yours." she vows and seals the promise with another passionate kiss, which to Akko feels even deeper and more special than all the others they have shared.

And apparently to Diana it felt the same because she screamed and stopped moving her fingers that were inside Akko.

"Diana?" she whispers confused and moans when she feels her soulmate desperately kiss her yet again.

"I'm ready." Diana simply says and when she looks at Akko, the brunette, instead of feeling fear feels herself getting wetter than before.

"You are so beautiful." Akko says in complete awe while using one of her hands to caress her eyes and fangs.

"I love you Akko." the vampire reminds her yet again and confidently bites her neck while moving the fingers that were still inside her yet again.

The moment she does that lethal combination, Akko feels her whole world becoming black.

LWALWALWA

"Diana!" Akko screams while jolting up from the bed to the confused and worried face of her girlfriend, Ursula, Croix and Lotte.

"Akko!" the blonde girl exclaims in relief while hugging her desperately. "Thank Jennifer you woke up."

"Woke up?" the brunette asks confused and takes her hand towards her neck, searching for the two puncture points that should have been there.

"What are you doing? Diana asks her. "Does your neck hurt?" she gets closer to Akko and the brunette without thinking about it grabs Diana's mouth and opens it.

"Akko?" Diana asks confused while feeling Akko's fingers touching her teeth. "Wghu ru dgins?" she tries to say but with Akko's fingers it's quite impossible to do so.

"You have nothing…" she murmurs and takes her fingers off Diana's mouth to the embarrassment of the blonde witch.

"Akko what is going on?" Ursula asks and the brunette stands up from the bed without warning everyone about it.

"You see, I told you she was alright." Sucy says from behind all of them and notices three of the four witches in the room give her a menacing look.

"I told you." Lotte sing-songs and opens her eyes in shock when she sees Akko jump on top of Professor Croix who, in order to prevent the girl from falling, catches her with her two arms.

"Akko!" the lilac-haired woman exclaims confused and that's when she feels Akko's fingers inside her mouth, touching her teeth.

 _Disgusting._

"Akko?!" Diana repeats her question while blushing profusely. "What is wrong with you?" she is the one that asks because both Ursula and Lotte are completely mortified about the scene happening in front of them.

Not knowing what else to do, the lilac-haired inventor waits for the moment when Akko's fingers move between her mouth and softly bites on them, making the Japanese girl yell and move her hand away.

"You bit me!" Akko complains.

"You were putting your fingers inside my mouth!" Croix says insulted.

"I had to make sure that your teeth were normal!"

"Normal?" Ursula asks and this makes the brunette focus on her.

Everyone in the room notices this.

"Akko…" the red-haired woman warns her.

"I just have to check." she whispers while getting closer. "Just let me look at your neck."

"My neck?" she gets distracted and Akko takes advantage of that to touch her left side.

"Nothing." she relaxes and finally sits down on her bed. "Thank Jennifer."

"Thank Jennifer?!" Croix asks confused. "What do you mean nothing? Why did you just do that? Checking our teeth and necks as if we were vampires!"

This makes Sucy and Lotte exchange knowing looks between them.

Diana and Ursula notice this.

"You both know why she's doing this." Ursula says softly.

"Perhaps we do." Sucy replies bored but then gulps in fear when the older woman doesn't reply. "My forgetting dust…" she explains calmly. "In order to make a person forget what just happened it replays their recent memories while they're asleep."

"Like watching a movie?" Diana asks curiously.

"More like being the protagonist of the movie." Lotte adds as well. "And before Sucy gave Akko the dust, the two of us had been talking about Nightfall and vampires."

"Vampires." Croix says softly. "So, you're saying that while she was asleep Akko believed she was a vampire."

"Wait, so it was a dream?!" Akko interrupts the conversation completely shocked. "You mean to tell me that we don't offer classes of alchemy here?"

"Alchemy?" Ursula asks confused. "The magic used to create magic stones? That is highly classified magical knowledge; very few witches can learn it."

"And…" she stares at Lotte. "You don't have the eyes of the fairies that allow you to see the color of a person's soul?"

"I'm afraid not." Lotte says while blushing.

"Wait!" Akko says relieved. "So then that means that I didn't you see you two..." she points at Ursula and Croix. "Have hot, steamy, vampire sex in one of the classrooms of the Astronomy Tower?"

"WHAT?!" Ursula and Croix yell while blushing desperately.

"What kind of dream were you even having?!" the red-haired witch asks mortified. "Was that the reason you checked my neck? I was letting Croix suck my blood?" the moment she says that she immediately regrets it because all the people in the room blush brightly.

Except Sucy who was chuckling devilishly.

"It seems that in Akko's dream you were the dominant vampire, Professor Croix." the pink-haired witch adds and it makes Croix smile brightly.

"Don't even think about saying anything." Ursula stops her from adding another comment.

"And…" Akko starts saying again and everyone is excited, and at the same dreading, to hear what Akko will say. "Didn't we…" she points towards Diana. "Have…"

Before anyone can hear what the brunette is going to say, Diana chants a spell and creates a protective barrier surrounding them.

"What?!" Croix says surprised. "Not fair!"

"Have sex in the middle of a lake while you took my blood in order to complete the ritual?" Akko finishes saying to a blushing and embarrassed Diana.

Meanwhile, outside the barrier, everyone was looking at Diana's mortified face in order to try to understand what she was being told.

"We had sex…" the blonde witch stutters confused.

"Yes! It was amazing Diana! You were so dominant and controlling." Akko says excited while grabbing her hands. "In fact…" she caresses her hand teasingly. "I was kind of hoping that it was real."

This makes Diana completely freeze and think of what was just happening.

Was Akko trying to seduce her with a vampire fantasy kink?

And if she was, why was it working?!

Taking a deep breath, Diana gets close to Akko to whisper in her ear.

"What do you think they're saying?" Lotte asks Sucy while watching Akko open her eyes in shock and shriek happily.

"I think Akko just managed to get herself some real action." she smirks knowingly.

"Sucy…" Ursula warns her. "She's probably embarrassed."

"She totally was." Sucy agrees. "But now she's not." she finishes saying just when the magical barrier breaks.

Surely, Diana comes out of it with a soft blush and determined look on her face.

"I will kill you later, Manbavaran." she promises the pink-haired witch before giving Akko an embarrassed look. "And I will be waiting for you in my room." she finishes saying and leaves the girl's dorm.

"Did she just say what I think she said?" Croix asks surprised while giving Akko a thumb up. "Good job!"

"Croix!" Ursula says embarrassed and grabs her girlfriend's hand. "We are going to have a really long conversation about acting like a grown-up."

"Will we?" the lilac-haired witch teases her and earns herself a smack on her butt. "Ow! So kinky." she jokes and avoids another slap that was coming her way. "See you later girls!"

"I will kill that woman." the former performer murmurs and gives Akko one soft smile and pat on the head. "Don't…" she blushes brightly. "Don't exert yourself too much." she finishes saying and runs out of the room.

"That was embarrassing." Lotte says softly.

"It was incredible." Akko says with a strange happy smile on her face.

 _Yeah,_ Sucy thinks while sitting on her desk and watching her brunette friend get ready, _Akko was going to owe her so much for that._


	16. First Time I

Akko and Diana both ask Croix and Ursula an specific and embarrassing question. How will the two older woman answer them?  
In this two part story, Akko and Diana are older (both 18) and 3 years have passed since the end of S1 of the anime. Events mentioned by the four women do go along with the other short stories I have written about them.

Notes:

So, Dianakko day 2! This chapter is not M rated (no sexy times unfortunately), but the next one (part II) will be M. I will still put a warning before that chapter reminding everyone.  
A little heads up, both scenes here are happening at the same time. The LWAWAWA are used to separate the POV between Akko and Croix and Diana and Chariot.  
Hope it makes sense.

* * *

"Sensei!" Akko screams while entering the Magitronics class. "I need you!"

"Akko…" Croix says worriedly and stands up from her chair to check the younger witch. "Did you get hurt? Did Sucy give you a potion made with expired ingredients? Did you curse yourself?"

"No Sensei!" the brunette witch huffs and stares accusingly at the older woman. "Why do Ursula-Sensei and you always think that when I ask for help? I've gotten better at preventing those things."

The older woman chuckles softly.

"Well… Can you really blame us for thinking that?" she asks while smiling.

"I guess not…" Akko hates to admit but decides that there are more important things to discuss. "Anyway, I came here because I need your help."

"Regarding what?" Croix is intrigued.

Akko blushes brightly.

And this of course intrigues Croix even more.

"You know what day will be tomorrow, right?" the brunette witch asks her softly.

"September 19." she simply says.

"Come on Croix-Sensei!" Akko whines but still smiles happily. "Tomorrow is our anniversary."

"Our anniversary?" Croix asks confused. "I had no idea."

"Not ours!" she says while pointing at the two of them. "By ours I meant Diana and I. Why would I even have an anniversary day with you?"

"Who knows Akko… Perhaps there's an event that happened between us that somehow changed your life for the better and you wanted to celebrate it. Like that time when we went time traveling! That was fun."

"We changed the past and almost destroyed our present." Akko murmurs nonchalantly. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Don't be so serious!" Croix smirks while grabbing Akko's shoulder and keeping her close. "Besides, you know you love me because of all that."

"I do." the brunette admits with a soft smile. "But right now, this conversation is not about you Sensei. It's about Diana and our anniversary."

"Your anniversary?!" now the older witch is surprised and Akko closes her eyes because it's like the lilac-haired witch didn't hear her before. "But didn't we celebrate your two-year anniversary last month?"

"Maybe it's not officially our anniversary..." the brunette witch blushes brightly. "But it will be three years since I went to get Diana back from the Cavendish Manor. The day when we both started to realize what we felt for the other."

"That's so sweet!" Croix says happily. "And you're here because you want me to help you plan something like what you helped me plan weeks ago?"

Akko was usually the one that helped Croix plan her dates with Chariot ever since the first time she did so years ago.

"Ehh…"

"You could go to a romantic dinner at Le Amour. Although that restaurant is quite popular with couples, I know the chef and I bet I can get you a reservation for tonight." she says excitedly. "In fact, I'll call him right now!" she takes out her cellphone.

"No Sensei!" Akko stops her quickly. "We don't…"

"Oh I see! You don't want something so public." Croix interrupts her again. "I guess we could do something like what you girls did when it was my date with Chariot years ago. But without the weird aphrodisiac and bat." she chuckles out-loud. "I bet Char knows a good picnic spot and we can go ahead to prepare everything for the date."

"Croix-Sensei!" the brunette exclaims embarrassed. "I don't need help with the planning." she murmurs softly. "Because I already know what I will do."

"Then why do you need my help?" the lilac-haired witch asks confused. "I know we tend to joke about this, but when it comes to your relationship with Diana, you're very responsible and kind to her."

Akko blushes even more than before.

"IneedyourhelpbecauseDianaandIwillhavesex!" she says rapidly.

"Akko, I couldn't understand anything you just said." Croix says curiously while getting some water. "You know you can tell me anything, right? I will not judge you."

"I said…" Akko repeats softly. "That I need your help…" the brunette witch stutters embarrassed. "Because tomorrow night Diana and I will have sex."

The moment Akko says that, Croix can't stop herself from spitting out the water she had just been drinking.

 _WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT._

LWALWALWA

"Professor Ursula!" Diana says urgently while entering the Astronomy Tower. "I need you."

"Diana?" Ursula asks confused while allowing the blonde witch to come in. "Did something happen to Akko? Did she curse herself? Did she get hurt? Did she drink a potion Sucy made with expired ingredients?"

"Akko is fine." the younger witch calms her mentor down. "I came because I am the one that needs your help."

"You need my help?" the former performer is surprised.

Diana usually didn't need the help of anyone when it came to magic or academic work.

In fact, their lessons had mostly been about enhancing and advanced magic that was only taught at the Ministry. Ursula had learned it from taking a course before she became a professor at Luna Nova and Diana had been curious about it.

"Yes." Diana says simply. "Although I am afraid that my question has nothing to do with magic or grades." the blonde looks down in embarrassment. "It is more of a personal question."

 _Oh, a personal question!_

"Diana, you know that you can ask me anything." Ursula appeases her immediately. "And that I will always try my best to help you."

"I hope you still think that after I ask you my question…" the blonde heiress murmurs but knows Ursula didn't hear her.

Although Diana was very confident when it came to magic and history, the only topic Ursula could think of that the blonde heiress would have a harder time understanding was love. And, while they did spend most of their time learning new spells and techniques, there were times when Diana asked her for advice when it came to her relationship with Akko.

Maybe this time it was going to be similar.

"Does your question have to do with Akko?" the red-haired woman asks knowingly.

Diana blushes brightly and takes a deep breath.

"Do you know what day is tomorrow?" she asks simply.

"September 19?" Ursula says confused by the change of topic.

"I meant symbolically."

"I have no idea." Ursula blushes because of course Diana would know the date.

"Tomorrow it's going to be three years since Akko went to the Cavendish Manor to bring me back to Luna Nova."

"Really?!" the red-haired woman asks surprised. "Has it already been three years?"

"It doesn't feel like it has been that long…" Diana agrees with the older woman. "And, although it isn't technically our anniversary, Akko and I have come to see it as the day when we both realized what we felt for the other."

"That is very sweet." Ursula smiles brightly at her. "What are you two going to do?"

Diana blushes profusely.

"Is that why you came here? To ask me to help you with something regarding your date?"

The blonde witch blushes even more than before.

"Since it is the weekend, we both asked the school permission to let us spend Friday and Saturday at the Cavendish Manor. We thought it would be fitting to spend our anniversary at the place where our love story started."

"Diana!" the older woman exclaims proudly. "You're such a romantic."

"That's what you think…" she again murmurs so that her mentor can't hear her. "It was Akko's idea." she smiles softly.

"It may have been her idea, but I bet the reason you're here is because you want to plan something special for her." Ursula says excitedly. "And you may need my help to get things ready for tomorrow."

"No." Diana says solemnly. "I already have everything prepared for our stay at the manor."

"Then why do you need my help?" she asks confused. "Not that I'm not happy about you sharing this with me…" she adds quickly. "But when you came you said that you needed my help with something."

"Because I do need your help." the blonde heiress whispers while looking down in embarrassment. "Professor Ursula, for the sake of tomorrow's evening plans, I need you to explain to me what one must do if they want to have sex with their partner."

This makes Ursula stop moving and just silently stare at the embarrassed girl in front of her.

 _WHAAAAAAAAAAT._

LWALWALWA

"I think I misheard you." Croix chuckles awkwardly while pretending to take some wax off her ears. "Because you didn't just ask me to help you have sex, right?

"I did ask you that." Akko says embarrassed.

"Akko!" the lilac-haired woman shrieks.

"I'm sorry!" the brunette also screams. "But I have no one else to ask this!" she looks down. "And I don't want to make any kind of move or mistake that may harm my relationship with Diana." she gives the older woman a softly smile. "And I trust you."

"Akko…" Croix says softly. "Are you being serious about this?"

"Very." Akko says solemnly. "It's pretty embarrassing for me to ask you this." she murmurs while looking away. "But Diana's comfort and enjoyment is more important to me than being embarrassed."

"That is very mature of you, Akko."

"I can be mature when I need to." the brunette responds while poking the older woman who chuckles knowingly.

 _Indeed_ , Croix thinks while watching Akko try to calm down, _a lot of things can change in three years…_

"Before I tell you anything, would you mind explaining to me why you came to ask me this?"

"Must I?" Akko whispers embarrassed.

"You must!" Croix says with a warm smile on her face.

LWALWALWA

"I…" Ursula manages to say after a while. "Was not expecting that."

"This was a terrible idea." Diana starts to panic. "I am so sorry for this and I will make my leave." she moves towards the door.

"Wait Diana." the red-haired professor says quickly. "You don't have to leave." she makes the girl sit down. "In fact, there's nothing wrong with you asking me this. I was just surprised, that's all."

"I am very embarrassed." the blonde witch whispers. "But I trust you Professor. And I know that you care about Akko just as much as I do."

"Indeed." Ursula says softly. "So how about you take a deep breath and tell me what made you come to the conclusion that you will…" she takes a deep breath. "Engage in sexual activity with Akko."

"It's been happening for a while." Diana says softly. "That when Akko and I start to kiss and make-out, we start to feel hot and bothered." she whispers and refuses to look at the older woman while explaining this to her.

"I see…" the professor says and can't help but smile warmly at the young girl in front of her. "Diana, there's nothing wrong about the feelings you have. In fact, they're completely natural."

"I am aware of that." she says more calmly. "And I do understand, anatomically speaking, why I'm experiencing these sensations." she moves her hands while thinking about the best way to phrase her thoughts. "And both Akko and I are over 18." she says softly. "So I think both of us have been considering this the next step in our relationship."

"So you've talked about it?" Ursula says surprised.

 _That's very mature of them…_

"Not exactly." Diana blushes and looks away.

"What do you mean 'not exactly'?"

LWALWALWA

"So Diana caught you watching a porno…" Croix can't help to say while laughing out-loud.

"It was for research!" Akko shrieks embarrassed. "I honestly have no interest or need those things." she defends herself quickly. "I know you've seen how… How excited Diana can get while making out."

Croix had confessed to Akko that Chariot and her had seen the two girls making out during that weird aphrodisiac/bat event.

"Indeed." the inventor says calmly.

"And well, perhaps sometimes while doing so there would be a point in which just kissing and touching wasn't enough." the brunette blushes quickly. "And in Japan, we are not taught a lot when it comes to sex…" she continues rambling until the older woman stops her with an understanding smile.

"I was just messing with you, Akko." the lilac-haired witch appeases her. "Although I do come from a country that is more open about sex education, I remember being young and embarrassed about asking someone to explain things to me. And like you, I also started to search for ways to understand my feelings."

This makes Akko exhale in relief and give her a thankful smile.

"That is very comforting to hear."

Croix gives her a warm smile and tells her to sit down next to her.

"Now that you've calmed down, how about you tell me what happened when Diana saw you?"

"She was a little upset…" the brunette says softly. "Which is understandable because I would have felt the same way if our positions would have been reversed." she chuckles. "And Diana… although she is very clever and intelligent, she can sometimes act a little immature. Especially when it comes to things like this."

"You bet she can." Croix agrees with her student. "Just remember that duel she had with Andrew in front of the whole school." she then opens her eyes knowingly. "No way! Don't tell me she got jealous this time as well!"

Akko closes her eyes and nods.

LWALWALWA

"I don't know what came over me." Diana admits embarrassed. "But just the thought of Akko needing those things… It made me think that perhaps she was not happy with the way our relationship was progressing."

"Diana…"

"And I know that's not the truth. That Akko loves me just as much as I do." she says immediately. "Alas, jealousy is never logical when it comes to these things." she chuckles knowingly. "

"So you were jealous about the fact that Akko was watching someone else." the red-haired witch rephrases what Diana had just said.

"Extremely jealous." the blonde witch says softly. "And I don't know why…" she blushes brightly. "But when I get jealous I start acting irrationally. Like my inhibitions disappear and my true self comes out. I just know that from one moment to the next, I turned off Akko's computer and attacked her."

"Attacked her?" Ursula asks worriedly.

"Passionately." Diana clarifies. "Intense and heavy kissing."

"Oh…" the older woman murmurs embarrassed.

"So, we started kissing just like usual." the young heiress is now saying non-embarrassed. "And I'm being a little more dominating and demanding than what I usually am." she moves her hands around her body. "Like I'm grabbing Akko strongly while pushing her against the wall."

"Pushing her against the wall…"

"Perhaps it was the fact that we both were thinking about the video…" the blonde witch says softly. "Or that we now knew that we were both just as curious and interested in the subject…" she tries to explain. "But from one moment to the next, kissing stops being enough and we start taking our clothes off."

"Taking your clothes off…"

"Yes! We were desperately kissing and touching each other like we usually did but this time it was different because we had our clothes off." Diana tells simply with her eyes closed. "Until we reached that point where we both realized what we were about to do and we stopped."

"You stopped?" Ursula asks curiously.

She hated to admit it, but although she felt a little embarrassed about hearing Diana talk this way about Akko, who she saw as her daughter, she also felt very curious…

LWALWALWA

"It felt like an epiphany." Akko says to a blushing Croix. "Because we were taking our clothes off and from one moment to the next we just stopped."

"Why?" the older woman asks surprised.

"I think we both realized that the reasons why we were doing it, jealousy and confusion, were not the ones we wanted to remember as the catalyst of our first time together." the brunette says with a warm smile. "And the moment I stopped, I saw Diana staring at me with the same expression I must have had."

"And what expression did she have?"

"Desire." Akko says while closing her eyes to remember. "Confusion. Excitement. But behind all of that love." she smiles warmly. "And just seeing her stare at me like that, I think it made me remember that this moment was meant to be solely about that; about us showing each other how much we loved one another."

"Akko…" Croix says surprised because she sometimes forgets that Akko is now a grown-up woman and no longer the girl she met three years ago when she came to Luna Nova for the first time.

"Trust me, I wasn't expecting things to be like that either." she chuckles happily. "In fact, it all became very surreal because Diana, who moments earlier had been taking my clothes off, just laughed out-loud and poked me before getting up from the bed."

"And what did she say?" Croix feels like she's listening to one of those radio soap operas with their many twists and turns.

LWALWALWA

"I told her that I was sorry for attacking her and that she had to explain to me what she had been doing." Diana chuckles warmly. "And my poor Akko was laying on the bed, with only her bra and panties on, trying to think of what to say to me."

This makes Ursula chuckle as well.

"That's just evil, Diana." the red-haired woman jokes with her.

"I know…" the blonde witch agrees with her. "But she did owe me because I caught her watching a porn movie."

LWALWALWA

"So here I am, my mind replaying all we had done moments ago while at the same time trying to think of an answer to her question." Akko says exasperated. "And you know me, I just say the first thing that comes to my mind."

"Oh Akko, what did you say?" Croix laughs loudly.

"I told her that it seemed like she was…"

LWALWALWA

"That I was just as interested as she was in having sex." Diana finishes with a loud laugh.

"What?!" the former performer exclaims before laughing with Diana. "That is so Akko!"

"I know!" the younger witch agrees with her while wiping tears from her eyes. "So when she tells me that, I go ahead and I ask her why she was watching that movie then instead of talking to me about it."

"Oh what did she say?!"

LWALWALWA

"I told her that I was preparing for when it was our turn so that I would rock her world." Akko murmurs embarrassed and closes her eyes when Croix laughs louder than before.

"No way you told her that?!" the lilac-haired woman screams. "That's hilarious."

"At the time I thought it was very clever!" the brunette with defends her actions. "But, just like you laughed, so did Diana." she murmurs with a warm smile. "And you know, the fact that we were capable of laughing and relaxing after what happened made us realize that we were both ready to take the next step."

"That is very mature of you girls." Croix says proudly because stopping at that point was not something very easy to achieve.

LWALWALWA

"After that, we talked about what we were feeling and Akko came up with the idea of going to the Cavendish Manor. There we would have all the privacy and time we needed while the place also has a special significance to us and our story."

"I'm happy to hear that things worked out that way." Ursula tells her with a warm smile. "Although asking me for help is a little too much…"

"But Professor!" Diana says desperately. "Because of what I told you, you now have to understand the importance of tomorrow night! And, I have to make the experience pleasurable and loving for Akko."

"Diana…" the older woman tells her softly. "Things like this, having sex for the first time, never go completely according to plan. We can prepare as long and hard as we want, but at the end of the day, what matters the most is that both you and your partner are and feel comfortable and ready."

"But…"

"The rest…" Ursula interrupts her with an understanding smile. "Wil come naturally to you." she then gives the blonde a firmer look. "Although we will need to talk about protection from magic."

"Protection from magic?" Diana asks curiously.

"Of course." the red-haired woman gives her a soft smile. "Since both Akko and you are soul mated witches, you need to think about magical transmissions and things like that."

LWALWALWA

"Magical transmissions?" Akko asks confused. "What is that?"

"You mean to tell me that Diana hasn't explained that to you?" Croix is surprised.

She had expected Diana to know all about it since she learned that Akko and her were magical soulmates.

"I think I would remember being explained something like that." the brunette murmurs confused.

"Well, simply put, when two soul mated witches that love each other have sex for the first time…" she explains with a soft smile. "The event can be quite cathartic for the couple."

"Cathartic?"

"Intense, since you two would basically become one in every sense; physical and magical." Croix further explains.

"That means that we would have more magic inside our bodies than what we normally do."

"Indeed. And, for witches that are unware or not prepared for this, it can lead to some unexpected surprises."

"Unexpected surprises?" Akko asks worriedly. "Does that mean that I could grow like an extra arm or things like that?"

"Well, anything can be possible." the inventor says honestly. "Although what should be your main concern is to not try to dominate your partner's magical essence."

"Not dominate it?" the brunette is still confused.

"When you dominate something, you basically force it to adapt to you. And, in the case of magic, when one magic overcomes another it is absorbed by the dominant magic."

LWALWALWA

"Making the two magics unite and become one." Diana is slowly realizing what her professor was trying to tell her.

"Yes. Normally, that wouldn't be an issue because magic from two different witches can temporarily join and then be released to their surroundings." Ursula explains calmly to her. "But, when two soul mated witches, who are joined in almost every sense of the word except for their magic, have their magic become one…"

"It can lead to the production of a new type of magic…" the blonde witch whispers in complete awe.

"Although we teach witches that magic cannot be created, the reality is that very rare events can create new magic. Yggdrasil, for example, created new magic from the old Leylines that had dried out due to the times."

"I always believed that the magic of Yggdrasil revived itself, that it changed from one source to another."

"Croix and I believed so as well." Ursula tells her with a soft smile. "But after magic returned, and with the help and guidance of Professor Woodward, we learned that the magic that is now stored in the Leylines is younger magic than the Leylines themselves."

"Which means that it had to be created when Akko found the last word." Diana says proudly. "But wait, if Akko and I unconsciously created new magic in a time when we were not aware of our connection… Are you implying that…"

LWALWALWA

"If you two thought really hard about something, and wished it with all your heart, then there could be the possibility that you two could create whatever you wanted." Croix finishes explaining to her excitedly.

"Create something. Not wish for something." Akko murmurs worriedly.

"That's what Chariot and I believe." the older woman gives her a condescending smile. "It sounds way more complex than what it is."

"Well, you basically just told me that Diana and I could change the world every time we wanted to have sex."

"You misunderstood me. The connection and the love you two would need in order to make your magic fully become one, it would have to be something of transcendence and unique importance." Croix tells her calmly. "A paramount event in your lives that you two have overcome by being together and trusting each other."

"Like opening our hearts to each other for the first time." Akko whispers surprised. "Which was what allowed us to use the Shiny Rod."

"After that you did admit your love for each other out-loud, but Chariot and I always assumed that the fact that you used the Shiny Rod together was the physical manifestation of your love and acceptance of said love."

"And now that we will do this…" she now understands what her mentor was saying. "Is another way in which Diana and I will become one."

"Indeed." Croix gives her a warm smile.

LWALWALWA

"Your magic becomes the most powerful when a barrier is broken between you two and you gain a deeper understanding of each other." Ursula finishes explaining to her.

"That…" Diana whispers relieved. "Soothes me tremendously."

"Don't fear the magic that comes from this bond." the red-haired witch smiles soothingly at her. "It will never be malicious or do something to harm Akko or you."

"Then why do we even have it?"

"A gift." Ursula says softly. "For in a time in the future when you may actually need it."

"A time in the future when we need it…" the blonde witch closes her eyes. "What should I do?"

"Talk to Akko." she encourages the younger girl. "Explain this to her and hear what she has to say. Open yourself to her and I know that your feelings will be answered in the same way. That is the wonder of being soul mated witches: If you allow it, your partner can feel your emotions and understand you better than you understand yourself."

"Like what Professor Croix and you have?"

"Perhaps…" Ursula chuckles softly. "Unlike you two, Croix and I discovered that we were soul mated witches after we…" she blushes. "After we had already done it with each other."

Diana blushes as well.

"I see!" she manages to say while refusing to look at the embarrassed woman in front of her. "But I do thank you for being open and honest with me."

"Of course." the red-haired professor says while opening her arms and letting Diana hug her tight. "Remember, open yourself and let her see your feelings. But more importantly, remember to have fun in your date!"

"I will." Diana gives the older woman one last smile before leaving her room.

LWALWALWA

"You're always so direct Croix-Sensei." Akko chuckles lightly.

"After all you two have seen us do…" Croix smirks knowingly. "Why be all ashamed about it?"

"Because that's the way normal people tend to behave."

"Well, I'm not normal." she says proudly. "And, neither are you. Or Char or Diana."

"I guess you're right about that." she gets close to the older woman and gives her a warm hug. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome…" Croix says confused. "Where are you going?"

"I am going to talk to Diana." she smiles softly. "We now, more than ever, have a date to plan."


	17. A Time Of Change

A couple of days have gone by since the incident between Akko and McCallister. Diana is unsure of her recent actions and if she has the right to like Akko after not doing something to protect her from previous abuse...

This One-Shot takes place a couple of days after chapter 4 but before chapter 9. So basically Diana and Akko are still friends and Croix is still away from Luna Nova not knowing that something happened to Akko.

* * *

 _"Did you hear about what happened three days ago?"_

 _"I was there! I saw it all with my own eyes!"_

 _"Is it true then that Diana challenged Sarah?"_

Closing her eyes, Diana does her best to move around the hoard of students following her around. All she had heard during the day had been rumors of what occurred in the gardens and the fact that the heirs of two of the nine olde families were in a dispute.

 _Yet nothing about what McCallister did to Akko_ , Diana thinks darkly while managing to not yell or react to the many voices and whispers coming her way.

Although Akko had reacted after Professor Ursula talked to her, the blonde witch knew that recovering from what had happened was not going to be easy for the brunette. In fact, it didn't shock her to see that Akko missed classes and that she was absent during lunchtime. Instead, she had gotten some sad smiles from Lotte and Sucy, who ate their food and carried an extra plate on their way back to the dorms.

Wondering if she had the right to go talk to Akko, Diana didn't know if the brunette would welcome her presence. Specially since until she was saved by Akko at the Cavendish Manor, Diana had not done anything to stop the other students from laughing at Akko.

Did she really have the right of caring and feeling like this when she had also silently bullied Akko?

Closing her eyes, she decides to go to the Astronomy Tower and get some lecture notes for one of her exams. Although she tended to be focused, today had been an exception and she had found herself thinking about soft eyes and brown hair.

Discovering that her feelings went beyond friendship right when this happened was certainly not the best time.

Entering the Astronomy Tower, she calmly goes to the classroom and only stops herself from entering when she hears voices coming from inside the room.

 _"I'm alright."_ she hears Professor Ursula saying softly.

After that it's all quiet.

 _"If something has happened?"_ the red-haired woman asks carefully. _"Nothing in particular."_

 _Nothing?_ Diana thinks confused.

 _Will she also pretend that everything is fine like the rest of professors?!_

Walking inside the room angrily, Diana is ready to speak and make her presence known when she notices that Professor Ursula has tears in her eyes.

Not knowing what to do, and with the professor's eyes now on her, she sees that the woman is holding a phone in her hand.

That is the moment Diana realizes she must have been speaking through it.

And if her memory served her right, that one was one of the phones Croix had given to Akko before she left Luna Nova.

Which meant that the older witch was probably speaking to the lilac-haired woman.

"Yeah, I'm still here." Diana sees Professor Ursula respond while giving her a dejected smile. "Of course, I will subconsciously let Akko know that you want her to call you." she chuckles sadly. "Yes, yes, I know she has that way to get into your heart." she finishes the call and moves to one of the many chairs in the room.

"Professor…" Diana starts to say but is interrupted by the older woman.

"She can't know." Ursula whispers dejectedly. "If Croix were to find out about what happened to Akko…"

"She would come to Luna Nova and break her parole." the younger witch realizes why the red-haired woman had been pretending that everything was alright. "I'm sorry, I just thought…"

"I wouldn't blame you for thinking that." she chuckles bitterly. "Because everyone else in Luna Nova is acting like what happened to Akko was nothing more than silly child-play."

"What do you mean?" Diana asks worriedly. "Do the teachers know?"

"Yes." Ursula says bitterly.

"Then why is McCallister still going to class?! She should be expelled for using magic against a fellow witch!"

"Sarah McCallister will not be expelled."

"Why…" Diana says angrily.

"Because there is no physical evidence of the attack occurring. And Akko cannot say anything about it without having a panic attack." Ursula closes her eyes dejectedly. "And if Akko is not the one doing the complaint then there's no ground for them to expel McCallister."

"That is bullshit!" she screams and doesn't care about her language. "People saw what she did to Akko! There are witnesses!"

"And there are some who claim Akko started it all."

"You mean McCallister's buffoons." she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "This is not fair."

"It is not." Ursula agrees and Diana notices how the woman grabs the table tight.

Too tight for it to not hurt.

"Professor…" Diana goes forward and grabs the woman's hands, noticing right away that they were bleeding.

"I…" Ursula closes her eyes. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this." she whispers and tries to take her hands away.

"I can heal this." the blonde heiress says and murmurs the incantation. "And seeing you like this soothes me." she moves her wand through the older woman's hands carefully. "It soothes me to know that you care that much."

"Thank you." the older witch gives her a sad smile that does nothing to calm Diana.

"How is she?" Diana whispers softly.

 _How is Akko.._.

This makes Ursula stare at her.

"I noticed she has been missing class…" she closes her eyes. "And during lunch I tend to see Lotte and Sucy carrying a plate with food to the dorms."

"She's not doing well." Ursula whispers sadly. "She's scared of leaving the room and won't eat unless we bring her food."

Diana closes her eyes.

"I was planning on making my way there as soon as I finished my talk with Croix." Ursula gives her an understanding smile. "Would you like to come?"

"I…" Diana closes her eyes. "I'm not sure I should…"

"Why not?"

"I just feel that I could have done more for Akko." the blonde witch murmurs dejectedly. "That my silence allowed people like Sarah to abuse Akko thinking that there are no consequences for their actions."

"This goes beyond you, Diana. And, while your silence may have been hurtful to Akko at first, it wasn't done out of malice. What matters now is that you're making things right by being the friend Akko needs."

 _Because I realized I like her…_

"Am I really?" she whispers and stands up from the desk. "Please, give Akko my regards and best wishes."

This makes the older woman give her a sad smile.

"I will." she promises. "But you know Diana, I bet she would appreciate it more if it comes from you."

LWALWALWA

 _"She would appreciate it more if it comes from you."_

Those words Professor Ursula had told her kept coming back to Diana ever since she left the Astronomy Tower.

She knew that Akko was not angry at her. In fact, she was certain that the brunette saw her as a friend.

But Diana didn't see herself as a being a good friend towards Akko.

And that was what was stopping her from going to visit the Japanese girl.

"So it seems like the old witch is stopping the talks." Diana hears a familiar voice saying from the other side of the wall.

"Yes, that is what I heard." Sarah says with a dark smile. "They're scared that witches like Akko will get hurt."

"Is that something that should make us feel better?" one of the girls asks hesitantly. "That they're terrified of what we could do to other girls?"

"If they're weak and incapable of defending themselves then that's not our fault!" she gives her a menacing look. "Just look at that dumb Akko! For all her talk about magic bringing people happiness, it certainly made her cry in fear when it was being used against her!" she laughs loudly. "I mean, did you even see her today?!"

This makes Diana close her eyes and try her best to remain calm.

She was failing miserably.

"I heard some younger witches say that she missed classes today."

"Good riddance then!" Sarah says proudly. "Perhaps we should just stick to making this dumb brunette see how magic can be so that she actually leaves Luna Nova!" she proclaims and that's all it takes for Diana to get out of her hiding spot.

"You…" she says darkly to Sarah who notices her and gives her a knowing smile.

"Well if it isn't Diana Cavendish, the defender of the weak." Sarah chuckles evilly. "What are you doing here instead of being with dumb Ak…" she was saying but is shut up by Diana who hits her on the face.

"Sarah!" the girls with her scream and do their best to keep Diana from her.

"Don't touch me!" Diana yells and manages to push them away from her. "She!" she screams while pointing her wand to McCallister. "She deserves this!"

"You just punched a McCallister." Sarah says completely shocked.

"You deserve more than that!" the blonde witch says darkly. "What you did to Akko, I can never forgive you."

"What I did to her is what everyone else has been thinking of doing." Sarah exclaims angrily. "She's not one of us, Diana! Why are you defending her like this! Why, when before you could barely even stand her?"

"Because she's special!" Diana screams with tears in her eyes and she knows McCallister saw them.

"Because you like her." the witch chuckles evilly. "You, a member of one of the nine olde families, likes a joke of a witch. How ironic."

"Don't speak of Akko in such a way."

"What will you do if I don't stop? Attack me with a spell? You know the moment you do so your family will be ruined."

"You think I care about that?" Diana gives her a dark smile. "That my family's name is more important to me than the happiness of the girl I may grow to love?"

This makes Sarah give her a surprised look.

"You're just bluffing. You're too proper and a good girl to do this." she still takes out her wand.

"You messed with the wrong person Sarah." Diana says and also puts herself in position.

"Damn it Cavendish!" Sarah screams while her friends move away and a small crowd starts forming around them. "I don't wish to fight you."

"Because you know you will lose." Diana says simply without lowering her wand.

"She's not worth it!"

"She's worth everything." the blonde heiress says surely.

"Then I guess I'll also have to teach you a lesson." Sarah proclaims and a group of girls surround Diana with wands in their hands. "Now, while you may be very capable of beating me in a duel, I do not want to take that risk."

"I always knew you were a coward Sarah." Diana doesn't hesitate and keeps her wand ready.

"Bitch." Sarah says and raises her wand to start the attack.

Like McCallister had said, although Diana was very good at magic, it was impossible for her to avoid getting hit by 10 spells coming her way. So, while she nullified most of them, there were two that managed to hit her. Closing her eyes in concentration, she stood up and launched her own attack, making most of the witches Sarah had lose their wands.

"Don't stop hitting her!" Sarah exclaims while launching a strong spell. "She's getting weaker."

Huffing in exhaustion, Diana used an explosion spell to create some distance between her and Sarah's goons. Using that time to concentrate and canalize her energy, she was thankful for all the stamina training she had started after the Shiny Rod incident.

It was that what was keeping her on her feet.

"Why won't she get tired?!" Sarah screams and throws a much stronger spell. "Damn you, Cavendish!" she shrieks and Diana is not prepared for the strength behind the spell, which makes her finally lose her wand.

Looking up, she can see Sarah making her way towards her with an evil smile on her face.

"That took long." Sarah sneers while grabbing her hand roughly. "For being all by yourself, you gave us a pretty good fight." she chuckles and hits Diana on the face. "That was for before." she hits her on her stomach. "This one is for being annoying." she continues hitting her and Diana feels like she's close to losing consciousness.

 _I'm sorry Akko…_

LWALWALWA

"Akko…" Ursula says to the younger brunette softly. "How are you feeling?"

This makes the Japanese girl give the older woman a soft smile.

"Better now." Akko tries to sound confident. "I'm sorry for causing you all such troubles." she addresses this to Lotte and Sucy as well.

"Your wellbeing is what matters most." Lotte says with a warm smile.

"We just want you to get back to your usual self so I can continue my potions trials." Sucy murmurs from her desk.

This makes Akko chuckle warmly.

"I'll try my best." she then looks at Ursula who is trying her best to smile. "Sensei, it wasn't your fault…" she whispers softly.

This makes the older woman give her a surprised look and for her friends to get out of the room.

"I think that all of the time we've spent together has made us grown close." Akko starts to say calmly. "And that just like you know me I know you." she smiles. "And I've noticed the way you look at me. As if you were blaming yourself for what happened when we both know it wasn't your fault."

"I was supposed to protect you Akko." Ursula whispers dejectedly. "I promised that I wouldn't let anything hurt you. And I failed miserably." she says with tears in her eyes. "When I saw you look so terrified and incapable of recognizing the people around you, I was so scared and angry." she confesses softly.

"And that's why I love you Sensei. Because you care about me." Akko gives her a warm smile.

"I love you Akko." the red-haired woman corrects her while hugging her tight. "I want you to be happy and for your dreams to come true."

"Knowing that makes me happy and is enough for me. To have your support and my friends close." the younger witch is going to say something more but is interrupted when the doors to her room open.

"Amanda?" she asks pleasantly surprised while separating from Ursula.

"Akko! You will not believe what is happening!" she says worriedly.

"What is wrong?" Akko asks softly.

"Diana…" she simply says and this makes the brunette freeze. "She's fighting McCallister."

"What?!" the brunette witch asks panicking. "Why would she do that?!"

"Because McCallister said that she would continue attacking you."

This makes Ursula get up from her chair and move towards the door.

"Akko, I'm sorry, but I have to go alert the principal." she apologizes while leaving the room.

"Well, that was an expected reaction…" Amanda is saying but notices that Akko has gotten up from her bed and is putting her shoes on. "Hey, where are you going?! You're supposed to be in bed?!" she continues saying but is ignored by the brunette who simply grabs her wand and goes out.

"Shit!" Amanda huffs and follows Akko away.

LWALWALWA

"Sarah!" one of the girls says worriedly after watching her friend hit Diana many times. "She's a Cavendish! You can't do this."

"Do you want to trade places with her then?!" Sarah says evilly and the girl gulps. "Because I will not stop." she looks around them to the mass of people that had formed behind her. "Does anyone want to trade?"

No one says a word and this makes Sarah chuckle knowingly.

"Thought so." she turns around and stares at Diana who is doing her best to not show how much this was hurting her.

"Don't worry Diana, soon enough I'll have you screaming." she promises and before she can land another hit she's stopped by a familiar voice.

"I will take her place!" they all hear and that's when both Sarah and Diana see Akko coming determinedly towards them.

"You!"

"Akko!" Diana stands up and groans in pain. "You're outside."

"Well, I heard you decided to go all Rambo and I had to come see that." Akko jokes and this makes the blonde chuckle.

"You and your weird movie references."

"Why are you doing this?" the brunette whispers softly to her. "She was not attacking you. She was just after me."

This makes Diana give Akko a very serious and determined look.

"I'm doing this because I care about you, Akko. Because I want you to be happy and safe here in Luna Nova." she stretches her hand to caress the brunette witch's face.

"But I'm not worth this." Akko says softly while tenderly holding her friend's hand.

"To me…" Diana says with a warm smile. "You are."

This makes Akko blush brightly and look away from Diana, who merely chuckled at the sudden embarrassment the Japanese girl was showing.

It was very cute.

"You can't say stuff like that." Akko murmurs embarrassed.

"Why not?"

"Because you may not mean it the way I want you to mean it…"

This makes Diana give Akko a soft and understanding smile.

"I don't think many people would go to such lengths…" she points at herself. "Just for a friend…"

Akko just gives her a surprised look that again makes Diana chuckle.

But, this time, it hurt her.

"You're hurt way more than what you're making it seem!" Akko tells her with sad eyes. "Because of me."

"This is not your fault Akko." Diana tells her tenderly while trying to caress her face, screaming in pain when she realizes Sarah had hit her there.

This, in turn, makes Akko stare angrily at the girl in front of her.

"You…" she whispers menacingly to Sarah, who for some reason gulps in fear. "You did this to her."

"She got in my way." Sarah tries to say nonchalantly. "And if you don't step away you're next."

"I…" Akko takes a deep breath. "You can get away with hurting me." she says firmly. "But I will not let you hurt my friends. Specially Diana."

This makes the blonde witch stare at Akko with wonder in her eyes.

"I was terrified of coming out because of what you did to me." Akko confesses and this gets the attention of all people surrounding them. "I didn't want to face you because it made me remember of how others like you had hurt me in the past."

"Akko…" Diana whispers sadly.

"But the moment I heard Diana was out there fighting for me… I just knew I had to do something. I couldn't let her fight alone." she takes out her wand. "So go ahead and fight me instead of her. I'll take her place because although I may be weak when it comes to magic, I believe in my friends and if they think I'm worth it, then who am I to tell them otherwise?"

This makes the people surrounding them start clapping and voicing their support for Akko, who was not taking her eyes away from Sarah.

Sarah, in return and while watching how everyone was reacting to Akko, decides to just get this fight over with. Knowing that the biggest threat in there was Diana, she focuses her spell towards the blonde who had lowered her defenses and was hurt from her previous attacks.

 _"Murowa!_ " Sarah screams her spell and immediately notices it being pushed away by Akko. "Whaaat." she huffs surprised but prepares another similar one. " _Murowa!"_

Akko yet again deflects it.

" _Murowa! Murowa! Murowa!"_ Sarah kept saying and each time she did the brunette witch deflected it. "Come on! Attack me!"

"I will not." Akko tells her firmly. "I will protect Diana with everything I have, but I will not attack you."

"Well, if I cannot hit you with magic…" Sarah says angrily while getting closer to Akko. "I will do it with my fists." she exclaims and prepares her punch.

Closing her eyes, Akko is expecting to feel some pain from the hit.

What happens instead is that she sees Ursula standing in front of them with her hand extended so that Sarah's punch would land on her hand.

"Professor Du Nord!" Sarah says worriedly while staring at her, then at Akko and Diana who were on the floor. "This, I was just defending myself from their attack."

"Were you really?" Ursula asks her menacingly and that's when Sarah remember that Professor Du Nord is really close to Akko.

"I see, you won't listen to what I say because of your relationship with this person." she says while pointing at Akko and notices Ursula flinch. "Which makes me wonder what you, a very talented witch, sees in such a pitiful person like Akko."

This makes Ursula take a step forward that is quickly noticed by Akko who grabs her hand.

"She's not worth it."

"I'm not worth it?!" Sarah laughs manically. "I'm worth more than your life!" she exclaims and quickly pushes Ursula out of the way. " _Belga Veeda_!"

"Akko!" Ursula screams because this spell went beyond a normal and legal spell. Akko wouldn't be capable of deflecting it.

"Akko!" Diana screams as well and does her best to stand up and get her wand.

Akko, meanwhile, closes her eyes and just thinks of the people that matter to her. Diana, Ursula, Croix, Sucy, Lotte, Amanda… All of their faces go through her mind and it's all she's focusing on. Not the spell, nor the screams of the two people she cares most about can distract her.

 _"Slonhon Deance_ " Akko simply says and all the people that were witnessing the fight noticed how Sarah's horrible spell slowly but surely became a beautiful flower.

 _"Wow!"_

 _"How did she?!"_

 _"Wasn't that a forbidden spell!? How did she transform it to a flower?"_

"Akko…" Diana whispers in complete awe and relief.

"How?!" Sarah shrieks in anger. "How did you do that?!"

"Miss McCallister." they all hear Principal Holbrook's voice from behind them. "Could you please explain to me what you were trying to do?"

"Me?" Sarah asks confused. "Defend myself?"

"By using a forbidden spell against the life of a student?" the older woman asks firmly. "I hope you're aware of the consequences students face when using such spells."

This makes Sarah gulp and stare at the director in complete shock.

"Please Professor Finneran, go ahead and accompany Miss McCallister to her room where she will gather her things. After that take her to the station and make sure her parents are aware she has been expelled from Luna Nova."

"You cannot mean this! Sarah says angrily. "I'm a member of one of the families of the nine olde! My parents will not let this stand."

"I think your parents will understand my position when I show them this video of their daughter using forbidden spells and physical force against students that didn't attack her." Principal Holbrook tells her somberly. "Now, please follow Professor Finneran." she repeats her order and Sarah knows she has to obey. "And for the rest of you…" she addresses the people surrounding them. "Return to your dorms." she orders them and they all do as said.

Going forward, Sarah notices Akko has gone to where Diana was laying and was currently helping her stand. Making sure of moving close to them, she notices the way the blonde witch blushes and how the brunette girl is being overly clumsy. They both liked each other and it was obvious that she couldn't just let that stay.

"Your family…" she says to Diana who turns to look at her. "Will never accept her." she smirks evilly.

"That…" Diana says confidently. "Does not matter to me." she goes ahead and grabs Akko's hand while saying so, making the brunette blush brightly.

"We'll see." Sarah smirks. "You'll both see me again."

"I hope not." Akko murmurs while watching Sarah being taken away.

"Now, Miss Kagari…" Principal Holbrook says. "On behalf of Luna Nova I would like to apologize for the way you have been treated. I promise you that from now on we will not let behavior like this go by and that there will be more witches like you coming to Luna Nova in the near future."

"Witches like me?" Akko asks happily. "Do you mean?" she stares at Ursula who nods in confirmation.

"Starting next year, we'll have witches from non-magic families coming to Luna Nova as well."

"That's great!" the brunette witch says happily while laying down next to Diana and holding her close. "Did you hear that Diana?!"

"Indeed." she chuckles softly. "It will be good for Luna Nova."

"Although, if they're as reckless as Miss Kagari to not move out of the way from a forbidden spell, they'll be a handful." Principal Holbrook says with a warm smile while walking away.

"By Jennifer, that was scary…" Akko huffs and screams in pain when she feels two hands hitting her head. "Ouch!" she says while holding her head. "Why did you do that?!"

"Why didn't you move out of the way?!" Ursula complains to her while holding her close. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I'm sorry." she apologizes softly. "I just, something inside of me told me that I was capable of stopping that spell." she then gets close to Diana who is still holding her stomach tightly. "And I'm sorry you're feeling so much pain."

"It will pass." Diana smiles brightly at her.

"If only I could take it away…" Akko wishes and unconsciously caresses Diana's stomach.

When she does, the two girls can feel magic flowing through them and in a matter of seconds Diana notices that her body has been healed.

"Akko!" Diana exclaims in complete shock and runs towards her friend who is just as surprised as she is. "You, you healed me."

"I did?" Akko asks confused. "But I didn't even use my wand or a spell…" she thinks but then merely smiles and holds Diana tight.

"Akko!" Diana blushes. "What are you doing?!"

"How?" is all Ursula can think of saying.

"I'm hugging you, of course!" Akko says happily. "And, showing you my feelings…" she whispers to a blushing Diana who hides her face but still squeezes Akko harder.

"Then I'll also start showing you mine." the blonde witch promises while moving towards the dorms.

 _What I just saw_ … Ursula thinks while remembering how Akko's magic had reacted to Diana being in danger… Is something that needs to be further explored.


	18. First Time II

Part 2 of 3! This one yet again is not M, but the next one will certainly be. Takes place right after First Time I. Both Akko and Diana are older than 18 and hence way more mature. As previously mentioned, years have passed since the missile crisis.

* * *

 _Now what am I gonna do?_ Akko thinks worriedly while making her way to Diana's room.

She had just talked with Croix-Sensei about her date with Diana and although she felt better about it, she was still nervous. In fact, after hearing the older witch explain to her the many possibilities of what their combined magic could do together; now it was like an extra burden had been placed upon them. Yet again they were being tasked with taking responsibility of something they didn't fully understand.

Akko knew that she had to talk to Diana. It was the only way she would be able to calm down and think clearly about their next step. Although she had left Croix-Sensei's classroom feeling confident, once she was alone and had time to think by herself about their discussion, the brunette witch realized the repercussions of learning of this new power inside of them.

What if they were not capable of controlling their magic?

Croix-Sensei had said to her that their magic could create anything they thought of. Said magic had already been released by them once they discovered the 7 words. That had allowed many people from around the world to start using magic in places where there were no Sorcerers' Stones. And, while that was good, it also meant that the power Diana and her had was something that shouldn't be taken lightly by them.

But then again why were they the ones that had to carry such a burden?

From the fact that the Shiny Rod came to her to the realization that said magical artifact had bounded itself to Diana and her; it was quite clear that their future would always be filled with mystery and what-ifs. Their relationship was always going to be put on par with magic and their actions were always going to bring consequences that would not only affect them but the magical community as well.

And, although Croix-Sensei had been excited about the many possibilities their combined magic would have, Akko was worried about what that would do to her relationship with Diana. They were still at school and that meant they didn't have all the answers. In fact, they knew almost nothing about this new type of magic. She had just learned a couple of hours ago that Diana and her were soul mated witches!

There was also the possibility that said magic could give them advantages that they perhaps didn't deserve. And what if people started complaining about this? Arguing that their accomplishments were not truly their own but the result of the Shiny Rod. What would that do to their future careers? To their lives in the magical community? Even today, Principal Holbrook called them from time to time to ask them for help in magical cases. And, while Diana and Akko immediately accepted, the brunette witch had just started to realize that these situations and favors could increase if their powers became known.

Because who wouldn't want to ask them for help if they knew they could create anything? A cure for a terrible disease. Money to end poverty. A new country or piece of land. The possibilities were endless and many would only bring further conflict to them and their loved ones.

Akko had always been a worrier.

She had been worried about becoming a witch like Shiny Chariot. Had been worried her lack of magical skill could prevent that. Had been worried about being accepted by her fellow witches. Had been worried about Croix-Sensei. Had been worried Diana wouldn't like her back. Had been worried her relationship with Ursula-Sensei couldn't be fixed. Had been worried her magic would fail her when she needed it. Had been worried about her date with Diana. Had been worried about their first time together.

Had been worried about silly things.

Now it was different. Now she was terrified.

Taking a deep breath, the Japanese girl has to stop her current line of thought in order to calm down. She had not realized her anxiety was preventing her from breathing and that now she was out of breath. Closing her eyes, she tries to remember the techniques Diana taught her to get back in control of her body.

Deep breath, 1…

Deep breath, 2…

Deep breath, 3…

Deep breath, this was not what she had been expecting when she came to Luna Nova.

And what if this was not something Diana wanted?

The blonde had many things to worry about as well. The future of her family, her career, the school; they were all things that Diana passionately cared about and Akko didn't want to be the one that prevented her girlfriend from making her dreams come true.

Not when in the past Diana had been burdened by the people close to her.

 _What if she doesn't want to be with me anymore?_

Now panicking even more than before, Akko knows that she's really close to losing consciousness. It had been a while since she last had a panic attack, but she could still remember the tell-signs of her shutting down.

Closing her eyes, she thinks about Diana and the fact that perhaps it was better for the blonde witch to let her go. I mean, look how unreliable she was, collapsing and becoming useless without being attacked or challenged. If this was happening to her now, what could she even think of doing when things got more complicated and she had to keep people away from Diana and her?

 _I would just hurt Diana…_

LWALWALWA

 _I am worried,_ Diana mutters to herself while leaving her room.

 _The implications are too great to just relax…_

"Why…" she whispers to herself. "Are we the ones that have to carry such a burden?"

Although Professor Ursula had told her to not see this as a burden, Diana knew people well enough to realize that many would try to take advantage of the magic Akko and her had. People in the magical community were selfish and she was sure that it was not going to take long for someone to realize the magical power the two of them had. In fact, she had been surprised no one had approached them after the Shiny Rod incident.

But then again, not even Professors Ursula and Croix had realized the full extent of what they had done until recently. And just like they did, many other witches would analyze the Leylines and the magic inside the Leylines and reach the same conclusion their two mentors had told her.

That Akko and her had magic beyond their wildest dreams.

Closing her eyes, Diana can start to imagine what it was going to be like; getting requests from around the world asking them for help. Asking them for cures and remedies to world problems. To bring world peace, to solve hunger. Or others would try to use them to gain power and control. Threaten them by hurting the people closest to them in order to get their collaboration.

And Diana knew that it was because of the connection Akko and her had to the Shiny Rod.

The power that they had gained came from the rod, of that she was certain. She had also held discussions with Professor Croix about the particularities of the Shiny Rod and the way it allowed its users to gain information and gifts. It explained Professor Ursula's physical and magical strength and the newfound power Akko had after recovering from her post magicless era.

Because, while the effects of the Shiny Rod had been immediately noticed by Diana, for them to manifest in Akko took longer. That was why she was incapable of doing any kind of magic and her spells reverted to the way they were before starting her lessons with Professor Ursula. During that time Diana had been terrified about the possibility of her having taken the brunette's powers. She had been considering the many causes for her enhanced magic and it all connected to Akko's magic powers diminishing. Hence, she had assumed that similar to what had happened when Professor Ursula used the Shiny Rod, she without wanting to, had taken Akko's power.

Luckily, it was the opposite and Akko's body just had to naturally adjust itself to the new magic that was inside of it. Hence, it took her longer to finally grasp that hidden power inside her and utilize it. But when she did, Diana could see the relief, happiness and wonderment in her girlfriend's face.

That was the moment Diana realized that Akko was a worrier.

Akko cared tremendously about the people surrounding her. She wanted to show them happy things and took their opinions and statements to heart. Diana, who had first seen Akko as stubborn and proud, now understood that the brunette witch in reality was easily affected by what others said. But not because of what that could do to her. Akko's worries were more noble than that.

She worried her actions would reflect poorly on her friends and how that could affect them.

And if Diana knew Akko as well as she did, she could only imagine what the brunette would think of this situation. That it was her fault that Diana was placed in this position because the Shiny Rod had been found by her. And Akko, being her noble self, would tell Diana that she didn't need to face this. That she could do it alone and that it wasn't her responsibility.

That she had more important responsibilities like her family legacy.

That she had been in this position so many times through the years and that enough was enough.

She would tell Diana to leave her.

Taking a deep breath in order to calm herself, Diana knows that she needs to discuss all of this with Akko. The brunette witch had become the most important person in her life and Diana was going to do everything in her power to stay by Akko's side and keep her safe.

 _Because Akko was her life._

"Diana." she hears a familiar voice calling her and turns around to find Professor Croix heading her way.

"Professor Croix." she tries to give the older woman a welcoming smile but knows it doesn't work quite well.

"Not the person you were expecting." she chuckles knowingly and this makes Diana smile.

"Am I that obvious?" the blonde says softly.

"A little." Croix tells her warmly. "But, I may also have some idea of why you would want to talk to her." she explains cheekily and this makes Diana blush.

"Of course Akko went to talk to you." she murmurs embarrassed.

"I know, I was surprised as well." the inventor laughs.

"No, you misunderstood me." Diana clarifies. "I'm not surprised that she went to talk to you. I'm just embarrassed she did."

"What do you mean?" Croix asks softly.

"Certainly you must know how much you mean to Akko, right? And how much she trusts and values your opinion."

"I do." she says hesitantly. "But I was expecting her to ask these questions to Char, not to me."

This makes Diana laugh happily.

"Because she loves you! And, she knows you tend to be more 'understanding' when it comes to naughty behavior."

Croix laughs as well.

"I see." she continues laughing. "But to be honest…" she murmurs embarrassed. "It's still nice to know that Akko sees me that way."

Diana gets close to her and hugs her tight.

"We both see you as our mother, Croix." she says warmly and knows her words reached the older woman because she feels her squeezing her tighter in return.

"Thank you D." Croix blushes and kisses her on the cheek before separating. "Now I'm going to tease you about that talk I had with your girlfriend earlier."

"And I was hoping that this emotional talk would make you forget all about it." Diana mutters.

"I don't think that's something easy to forget." the lilac-haired woman snickers. "But, I'm actually surprised to see you all alone."

"What do you mean?" the blonde asks confused.

"Akko left my office a while ago saying that she was going to find you." Croix answers her.

"But I just came from my room."

"Really? Well, maybe she got distracted with something on her way there."

"Maybe…" Diana starts to say but quickly realizes that she's running out of breath.

 _This feeling…_ she thinks while concentrating on blocking Akko's presence… _It's not coming from me._

"Diana?" she hears Croix asking her worriedly while holding her up. "What's wrong?!"

"Akko." Diana simply says and knows the older woman understands her because she immediately takes one of her drones out and orders it to find Akko.

"Her magic essence is near your room." Croix tells her anxiously. "But her levels are dropping rapidly."

"So most probably she's close to losing consciousness." the blonde witch says worriedly and finally manages to regain control of her body. "Ok, I'm back."

"That took you less time than what I was expecting." the inventor tells her surprised. "Wait, where are you going?!" she asks when Diana starts running ahead. "I still don't know in which direction Akko is."

"I can feel her presence." Diana yells while running towards her room, knowing because of the bond she shared with Akko that the brunette was near that area.

Diana knew that panic attacks were nothing new to Akko. In fact, her girlfriend had become more prone to having them after her incident with McCallister. Unfortunately, that episode with the older witch had left scars on Akko's psyche and the Japanese woman had moments in which she experienced very vivid panic attacks. While they were not common, Diana had not realized how much they could affect her girlfriend until she felt the symptoms of one herself.

It had been during one of their scheduled trips to visit Croix at her home. Since the inventor had just finished creating a mobile training center, the older woman had asked Akko and Diana to test it for her. And Akko, being her usual excited and curious self, had agreed immediately. Since the mobile center was meant to prepare witches for fights, the two young girls had to simulate a fight between them. Unfortunately, after one of the attacks Diana used made Akko collapse on the floor, she knew that something was happening with her girlfriend.

 _(Flashback)_

"Diana?" Ursula asks confused after being summoned by Diana's danger signal. "What is wrong?" she asks but then focuses on the brunette who is laying on the floor incapable of breathing. "Akko!" she screams and runs to where her student is. "What happened?!"

"Panic attack." Diana manages to say while doing all she could to not let go of Akko. "Practicing magic. Spell reminded her of McCallister."

"What?" the red-haired woman says confused and then notices that Diana is also not doing well. "Did your spell hit her?"

Diana sees the woman's confusion.

Nevertheless, before she can try to answer her question, both witches watch Croix quickly entering the room with a potion in her hand.

"Make Akko drink this." she orders Ursula who does immediately as said.

Once she does that, they all feel Akko falling peacefully asleep.

The moment that happens, Diana takes one deep breath and finds herself capable of talking and being calm.

"Thank you." she whispers thankfully while caressing Akko's forehead tenderly.

"What happened?" Ursula asks confused. "What was going on?!" she then turns around to look at Croix. "How did you make it here so quickly?!"

This makes Croix stare guiltily at both of them.

"You know something." Diana tells her seriously. "And it has to do with what Akko and I just experienced."

This makes the lilac-haired woman stare surprisingly at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I could feel Akko's panic and desperation." the blonde witch informs her dejectedly. "And the relief she experienced after you gave her that potion."

This makes Croix huff and sit in front of Akko, who was laying on Ursula's lap.

"This just started happening a week ago." the inventor informs them sadly. "Akko and I were researching for one of her classes and she saw something that triggered her memory. Made her remember the incident with McCallister."

"Akko…"

"Before I could notice that something was wrong with Akko, she was having a panic attack. One that I stopped with that potion you just gave her." Croix adds bitterly. "When I asked her about it, she made me swear to not tell you anything because she wanted to be the one to do so." she smiles dejectedly. "But it seems like she didn't do it."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Ursula says angrily. "You know how much Akko means to me!"

"She made me promise Char." the lilac-haired witch apologizes. "I couldn't break her confidence like that."

"Her life could be at stake here!"

"I know!" Croix also yells. "I swear I wanted to tell you! But after everything we have been through, I just couldn't do it. It had only happened once and she let me put a bracelet on her that would help me keep track of her vitals and magic."

"So that's why Akko started wearing that watch." Diana murmurs while watching the two older women fighting.

"That doesn't justify the fact that you needed to tell me!" Ursula says bitterly.

"You would have done the same in my position. In fact, you did so when Akko was attacked!" Croix answers back angrily.

"That was different!" the red-haired woman says desperately.

"Was it?!"

"Enough." Diana interrupts them calmly and both women immediately stop talking. "Akko wouldn't want you two fighting." she adds firmly. "Besides, I'm afraid it's not as simple as that."

This makes them close their eyes and separate from each other.

"Diana is right." Croix adds worriedly. "Before this incident, I had no idea of what was causing Akko to experience the attacks. So to now know that Diana is capable of feeling what Akko is feeling must mean that their magic got combined after they used the Shiny Rod."

"Is that even possible?" Ursula murmurs dejectedly. "It's been months since the missile incident and you're telling me that the symptoms of using the rod are just starting to manifest themselves?"

"I don't know Char…" the inventor explains. "All I can tell you is that whatever is happening to Akko can also affect Diana."

"But sharing feelings…"

"I think it wasn't like that." Diana adds while caressing Akko's cheek. "I think the moment I started to feel what Akko was feeling was when my subconscious asked for it. I wanted to understand why Akko was in pain and the very next moment I was feeling short of breath."

"That sounds like making a wish." Ursula murmurs to herself.

"It certainly needs to be investigated." Croix agrees and gets a knowing look from her girlfriend.

"We need to talk to her."

This makes Croix close her eyes and take one deep breath before nodding in agreement.

"We need to contact Professor Woodward."

 _(End of Flashback)_

"You need to tell Chariot to meet us at Diana's room!" Croix screams to one of her droids and sends it to the Astronomy Tower to her girlfriend. "Diana, her vitals are dropping."

"I can feel it." the blonde replies and takes another left turn before reaching the hall of the dorms.

Rapidly looking around, she immediately sees familiar brown hair and the owner of said hair kneeling down, clearly on the verge of losing consciousness.

"Akko!" she screams while stopping in front of her girlfriend and holding her tight. "Akko!" she uses her fingers to touch her pulse and notices it very slow. "Croix!" she panics.

"Calm down Diana." the older woman instructs her. "Remember that right now Akko and you are sharing feelings. Hence, if you also start panicking then Akko will also feel it."

Nodding in understanding, Dian starts taking deep breaths, trying her best to sync her breathing and making it slow and soothing enough for Akko.

"I don't know what to do." she whimpers to the inventor who also seems at a lost. "She barely has a pulse."

"Something made her have the attack." Croix starts thinking outloud. "But no one has been around her because my droid can only trace Akko's magical essence."

"So that means she caused it herself." Diana concentrates. "You said you talked with Akko earlier about our incident." she starts saying. "Did you discuss something that would have made her worry?"

"We talked about the fact that you were soulmates and that each time you two experienced strong bonds your magic became more powerful."

"I also had that conversation with Ursula. I was worried because it meant that we had to further think and talk about tomorrow night." the blonde witch explains and the moment she does so realizes what had made Akko had the panic attack.

 _Akko is a worrier…_

"Croix! Diana!" they both hear the worried voice of Ursula getting close to them. "What happened to Akko?" she asks worriedly while taking a potion out of her pocket.

"Thank you." the lilac-haired woman tells her with a sad smile. "It seems that Akko had another attack. Although we don't know what caused it."

"I think I know why Akko had the panic attack." Diana says while getting close to Akko's face and smiling softly at her. "It's because she started worrying about me."

"Worrying about you?" Ursula asks confused while laying next to Diana and checking on Akko herself.

"Of what this new magic could do to us and to my responsibilities." she explains softly. "Akko probably started thinking that this would become a burden to me and that it was unfair of me to have it since the Shiny Rod didn't choose me."

"But it did choose you." Croix says determined. "The moment you both used it during the missile crisis, it was the moment the rod chose you." she smiles dejectedly. "Trust me, the rod only allows specific people to use it."

"What do you mean?"

"She means that the rod never allowed her to use it." Ursula explains to her simply. "In fact, only after Croix made peace with what happened did she Shiny Rod allowed her to touch it."

"Before it would always electrocute me if I tried." the inventor chuckles.

"So the fact that I could touch it…" Diana murmurs.

"It meant that the rod saw you as a legitimate user. Akko probably doesn't know that." Croix says calmly. "Which could explain why she would be blaming herself."

"Blaming herself, why would she be blaming herself?" Ursula asks confused.

"Akko had with Professor Croix the same talk we two had." Diana explains to her and this makes the red-haired woman finally understand what was happening.

"I see." she murmurs while using her magic to enhance her arms. "But then again, this is typical Akko."

"Totally." Croix agrees while using her drones to help Ursula. "If there's one person Akko will put before herself then that's Diana."

"She must know that I would do the same for her." Diana whispers worriedly and watches the two older woman put Akko on her bed. "That if the need arises, I would leave everything behind and be with her."

"But that wouldn't be right." they all hear Akko say softly. "Because you had so many dreams before meeting me. Returning your family estate to what it used to be. Making magic become widely known. Making the rest of olde families see that the Cavendish are proud and kind. All of those dreams…" the brunette explains warmly. "I could never take them away from you."

"Akko, those dreams mean nothing if you're not by my side." Diana says determined. "Those dreams came from the mind of a lonely girl. Because all I had before I met you was my name, my magic and my estate. But now…" she gives her a happy smile. "And thanks to you, I have so much more."

"You have more worries and more problems." Akko says dejectedly.

"No silly!" the blonde chuckles. "I have a family! You Akko, along with Ursula and Croix, are my family. And I know we can all agree…" she points at the two older women who are watching them talk. "That you were the one that brought us all together."

"Really?" Akko whispers vulnerably. "You don't hate me then for what is happening to us? For this bond that was created between us and that will be something you and I will always have to think about?"

"Of course not!" Diana replies passionately. "While right now this bond is worrying me." she admits. "I know that we will find a way to overcome it. And that in the future, the sacrifices we make in order to harness this power, will return to us in a positive way."

"Diana…" the Japanese woman says softly. "Do you really mean this?"

"You must feel that I am." the blonde witch smiles warmly at her. "That this closeness and warmth we have, I do not see it as a burden or a hindrance. That it is a gift that allows me to be even closer to you."

"I can feel it." Akko promises her while crying and opening her eyes so that Diana hugs her. "I'm sorry I'm always doubting you and what you feel for me. It's not because I don't believe you."

"It is because you don't believe in yourself and don't realize how much you mean to me." Diana finishes her line of thought. "But then again, maybe it is because I haven't shown you enough."

"Diana, that's not…" the brunette tries to say.

"But, I promise that tomorrow I will." the blonde continues explaining. "That after tomorrow, we won't have any doubts about our bond and our relationship."

"Diana…" Akko says moved. "Does that mean then…"

"Yes, I trust you and I know that what we have is real and true."

"That tomorrow we'll make love." both witches say at the same time and this makes the two older women in the room laugh loudly.

"Akko!" Diana admonishes her while separating from her girlfriend. "Really?!"

"I'm sorry Diana, but what you said, it could be interpreted that way."

"I was trying to be romantic." the blonde pouts.

"And you were!" Akko promises her.

"Not very clearly if Akko thought you were telling her to have sex." Croix says cheekily and this makes Diana blush even more than before.

"Croix-Sensei, you're not helping!" the brunette complains.

"Croix, don't tease them." Ursula adds her own reprimand. "But you two." she says to the two women with a kind smile. "Please, think of what we both told you and plan ahead."

Hearing this yet again makes the two younger witches blush.

"Just hearing it like that…" Akko starts saying.

"Is really embarrassing." Diana finishes her girlfriend's line of thought.

"Look, they're finishing each other's sentences!" Croix shrieks happily. "I wonder if tomorrow you'll experience two times the pleas…"

"NO! Don't even go there!" Akko, Diana and Ursula say to the older woman who merely laughs and takes out one of her tablets.

"This is definitely something worth researching and getting data. So, do you think you would be ok with having a wristband while…"

"CROIX!"

 _We will be fine…_ Akko and Diana think while watching the two older women bicker with each other.

 _Because we're a family…_ the two younger witches grab hands and think ahead of what is coming tomorrow.

Now they were ready.


	19. Now Save Me

No one at Luna Nova knows that Akko and Diana are dating. A new student arrives to Luna Nova and makes her intentions clear.  
Chapter takes place after chapter 1 but before chapter 6

* * *

It had been a couple of days since Akko and her started dating and she still couldn't believe how lucky she was. At first she had been a little afraid of what being in an actual relationship could do to them, but it seemed like all her fears had been for nothing. Akko was nothing but wonderful, warm and sweet with her. Every time they were together, Akko reminded Diana of how much she meant to her and Diana had not known how much that meant to her until hearing the brunette say it.

Being with Akko was showing Diana how much she had wanted to feel cherished.

Diana was used to feeling admired and idolized. Being a Cavendish had its perks and that meant many witches approached or spoke to her because they wanted to be her friends. They wanted to be seen with Diana because they believed that would aid them in their quest for fame and power.

Yes, Hannah and Barbara had turned out to be exceptions to this rule, but generally speaking, many of the girls that sought Diana did so because they wanted something from her.

 _Except Akko…_

Whom she was supposed to meet after her patrol finished and that had occurred five minutes ago.

Groaning in annoyance at having distracted herself, Diana starts to head towards the gardens before noticing that there was someone watching her from the shadows.

"Excuse me…" she says seriously while using her wand to illuminate the girl. "But you do know that students cannot be outside their dorms at this time, right?"

This makes the ginger girl watching her blush in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry." she apologizes immediately and Diana relaxes her stance.

Diana gets closer to the girl.

"You're a new student." she says confidently.

"I just got here a couple of days ago." the girl stutters. "I mean, I wasn't sure about learning magic, but when I saw you on TV I realized that I wanted to."

This makes Diana smile tenderly.

"Well, I am glad you're here then and welcome to Luna Nova." she says politely. "Although, breaking curfew is against the rules. Which is something your roommates must have explained to you."

The ginger witch nods in confirmation.

"They did." she whispers embarrassed. "But when I heard that you would be the one patrolling tonight I just had to because I've been wanting to meet you."

"Meet me?" Diana asks confused. "Surely you could have done that during the morning." she admonishes the girl.

"Then you wouldn't have been alone." the younger girl murmurs and this confuses Diana even more. "I mean, you always seem so busy and I didn't want to bother you. My name is Kristen Douglas."

"Douglas, I've heard that last name. Your family has close ties to the Ministry, correct?"

"Yes!" Kristen tells her excitedly. "But of course you knew that." she laughs. "My family has always been about us choosing our own destiny, so when I first told them that I wasn't interested in magic they weren't upset about it. But, when I explained to them after the missile crisis that I changed my mind they were ecstatic. I mean, somehow they managed to enroll me before the year ended."

"Indeed." Diana murmurs while looking at her watch and realizing that she's late. "Listen, if you return to your room I will not mention this to the professors."

"You won't?!" the ginger gets excited and comes out from her hiding spot, quickly getting close to Diana and grabbing her hands tightly. "Thank you Diana!" she exclaims and it takes all Diana has to not be rude and take her hands away.

"You are welcome." she replies politely and moves away from the exuberant girl. "Now, please return to your room so I can also return to mine."

"Yes, yes." the younger witch promises happily. "Again, I knew that all the things people said about you were true."

"The things people say about me?"

"That you are beautiful, kind and strong." Kristen tells dreamily and this makes Diana feel embarrassed.

"I appreciate the compliment." Diana says awkwardly when the girl doesn't move away from her. "Now, I will ask you again to return to your room."

"Oh, of course! Good night Diana!" the ginger tells her brightly and finally turns around.

Huffing in relief, Diana waits until the younger girl is gone before switching routes. She knows that she's running late and is a little worried that Akko will no longer be waiting for her. Nevertheless, the moment she arrives to their usual spot she can see Akko doing some spells in front of a couple of fairies that were sitting next to her.

Smiling at the scene in front of her, Diana starts walking towards Akko and only lets her know she has arrived when the brunette is done with the trick.

"That…" she whispers to Akko while hugging her from behind. "Was beautiful." she smiles when she feels Akko flinch and immediately relax when she realizes it's her.

"Diana." the Japanese witch scolds her lightly. "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry." Diana apologizes honestly. "I just didn't want to interrupt you. Not when you were looking so beautiful."

"Diana…" Akko murmurs embarrassed but turns around to hug her.

This makes the blonde witch chuckle.

"I am sorry I am late." she explains softly. "I was on my way to you when I noticed a younger girl was breaking curfew."

"She was?" the brunette asks surprised. "The nerve of her to do so during your turn." she says wickedly.

"Well, she's not the only one breaking curfew." Diana tells her knowingly.

"It seems that she's not." Akko teases her. "I wonder what you'll do to that other witch who is bold enough to roam around the school while you're patrolling."

This makes Diana laugh.

"Well, she must either be very bold or very dumb to do such a thing."

"Or maybe she has a crush on you and wants you to notice her." the Japanese girl tells her seductively.

"Well, breaking curfew for me would certainly make me notice her." Diana says while getting closer to Akko.

"Really?" Akko asks while caressing Diana's face. "Then I guess she must start doing it more often if that means getting your attention."

"I wouldn't want her to get expelled." she jokes and this makes the two witches laugh.

"You know…" the brunette says to her while grabbing her hand. "If you would have told me a couple of months ago that you and I were going to be holding hands like this…" she emphasizes tenderly. "I wouldn't have believed them."

"Why?" Diana asks curiously.

"Because you're just so out of my league." Akko explains. "You're Diana Cavendish, heir of one of the olde families while I'm just Akko Kagari; a Japanese witch that still cannot fly."

This makes Diana turn Akko around so that they were facing each other.

"You, Akko, have always had my attention." the blonde promises her tenderly. "From the moment you arrived to Luna Nova, your personality and warmth captivated me." she chuckles warmly. "In fact, now that I think of it, I never stood a chance."

"I wanted you to see me." the brunette confesses to her. "Not as the dumb Japanese girl who couldn't fly. But as Akko."

"I see you, Akko." Diana whispers and closes her eyes when she feels Akko closing the distance between them.

"Diana…" Akko kisses her tenderly and all Diana can think of is the way their lips fit perfectly together.

Holding Akko close, she cannot believe how lucky she is of having someone like the brunette in her life. Of there being someone that truly knew her and still wanted to be with her.

Of someone that didn't care about her name or her reputation and had taken the time to know her.

 _I…_ Diana thinks while pushing Akko down and staring lovingly at her… _I want her to love all of me._

And, as if somehow Akko had been capable of realizing what she was thinking, she sees the Japanese girl nod to her in understanding before giving her a cheeky smile and turning them around.

"Akko!" Diana laughs and lets the brunette hold her down.

"It's my turn!" Akko chuckles and starts peppering her neck with kisses. "My turn to spoil you."

"You spoil me too much." the blonde heiress reminds her. "In fact, it seems that your influence is turning me into a rule-breaking student."

"A rule-breaking student? You?!" the brunette teases her. "Oh, what will I do in order to earn your forgiveness?"

"Stay with me." Diana whispers vulnerably and again Akko understands what she means.

"Always." Akko vows to her and seals their promise with a passionate kiss.

One that leaves Diana dazzled and prevents her from noticing that someone was watching them from the shadows.

Someone that was not happy with what she was seeing.

LWALWALWA

"That class was so boring." Hannah tells her after they were done with their _Introduction to Magic Ethics_ class.

"I know, right?!" Barbara agrees while holding the door so that could get out of the classroom. "Well, usually the class is so dull." she explains to them. "But today was just too much."

"Indeed." Diana also has to say that the class was incredibly dull. "Although we do need to learn about the rules of magic, today's topic was rather redundant."

"If even you Diana say something like that." they joke and start heading towards the dining room. "Thankfully we have lunch now and then flying class."

"I'm excited to see how Akko will do today." Hannah says. "You've been giving her some lessons, right?" she asks Diana who nods in confirmation.

"I'm sure many are curious to see how much Akko has improved." Diana replies proudly. "Although she still cannot fly too fast, she can now maintain her balance and fly at a low speed."

"That's awesome!" Barbara exclaims honestly. "Akko deserves it." she adds and they all agree because after getting close to the red and green team they had all been witnesses to the dedication and determination Akko had when it came to improve her skills.

"Well, you know Akko…" the blonde heiress jokes tenderly. "A believing heart is her magic." she says her motto and the three witches laugh.

"What is that smell?" Hannah interrupts them. "Don't tell me today is pie day?!" she stands up and grabs Barbara's hand. "We must get some right now!"

Diana chuckles knowingly.

 _Hannah was just as blunt as Akko…_

"But…" Barbara stares at Diana who gives her a thumb's up.

"Please don't mind me." she smirks at them. "But, would you mind getting a slice of pie for me as well?"

"Sure thing!" Hannah exclaims happily before pulling Barbara away. " _I owe you one!"_ she mouths to Diana who winks knowingly at her.

"Those two…" Diana chuckles and is ready to take out one of her books before someone sits next to her.

"Diana!" she looks upwards and sees the ginger witch from last night smiling at her. "Hi!"

"Hi…" Diana replies confused but politely. "Your name was Kristen, right?"

"You remember!" the younger girl tells her dreamily.

"Well, hard to forget the name of the witch that just last night was breaking curfew."

This makes Kristen look down in embarrassment and Diana feels a little bad about having been so rude.

"How are your classes going?" she asks and this makes the ginger start telling her about her day.

"I didn't know magic could be this fun!" Kristen says proudly. "Many of the teachers tell me that I have a natural talent for it."

"While having talent is true, one also needs the discipline and practice to hone and improve said talent." she advises the younger witch who immediately nods.

"Of course!" Kristen murmurs bashfully and the sight of familiar brunette hair makes her attention deviate from the ginger.

Right in front of her, and from the sights of it recently entering the room, was Akko talking with Professor Ursula. The two of them were animatedly discussing something that had the older witch laughing. Huffing in fake annoyance, Akko also smiled and continued joking with the red-haired woman.

Watching Akko like this, being open and close to the woman she had admired and grown to love, made Diana smile.

"The red-haired woman is Shiny Chariot, right?" Kristen asks her and this makes Diana remember that the younger witch was still there.

"Yes. Although she prefers to be called Ursula." the blonde informs the girl who continues staring at the two witches in front of them.

"Dully noted." she replies and again tries to grab Diana's attention. "So, I was telling you that since I just came to this school and didn't know many people…" she murmurs while looking down in embarrassment. "I was wondering if you could give me private les…"

"DIANA!" the blonde hears a familiar voice heading towards her and cant' stop herself from smiling at the sight of her favorite brunette. "Hey!" she says to Kristen and sits down next to Diana.

"You almost missed lunch." she teases while using her wand to take out some food she had saved. "Lucky for you, I happened to save some food for you."

"DIANA!" Akko shrieks happily while hugging her tight. "What would I do without you?"

"Probably starve." Diana jokes and Akko pouts.

"I know!" Akko says dramatically. "But I have a legitimate reason for running late." she promises her. "You see, I was on my way to the dining room when this weird blue bird latched itself to me."

"A bird latched itself to you?"

"It sounds weird but it's the truth!" the Japanese girl promises her. "Were it not for the fact that Ursula-Sensei was standing near, I wouldn't have been able to take it off me."

"I see…" Diana replies intrigued. "Did she explain to you why that happened?"

"She said that the bird was enchanted." Akko tells her simply. "That it was probably a simple prank."

"Still…" the blonde murmurs angrily. "Doing so is against the rules and it almost made you miss lunch."

"Well, thankfully you were here and saved some food for me." the brunette tells her tenderly and this makes Diana give her a radiant smile.

"Ehem!" they both hear and Diana blushes in embarrassment because she had again forgotten that Kristen was sitting with her.

"Oh, I am sorry." she apologizes while pointing at Kristen. "Akko, let me introduce you to Kristen Douglas. She's new at Luna Nova."

"Cool!" Akko says to her with a bright smile. "The more people come to Luna Nova the better! My name is Akko Kagari and it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." Kristen simply says to her and this makes Diana stare at the ginger.

"So…" Akko continues oblivious to the ginger's treatment. "Where are Hannah and Barbara?"

"They went to get some pie together." Diana smirks. "Hannah suggested it."

"Did they?" the brunette says cheekily. "How scandalous of Hannah."

This makes Diana laugh.

"Who are Hannah and Barbara?" Kristen interrupts them childishly and Diana is starting to lose her patience.

"They are my teammates." Diana replies tersely.

"I would love to meet them!" the younger witch says excitedly.

"They're really nice once you get to know them." Akko adds and the moment she does so Diana sees Kristen's smile disappear.

"I see." Kristen merely tells her and then focuses on Diana. "Listen, I'm not trying to be rude." she says to Akko absently. "But I was hoping to talk to Diana for a while. ALONE." she emphasizes and this makes Diana stare surprisingly at her.

But, before the blonde can even say anything, Akko simply gives her a soothing smile and stands up from the table.

"Of course." she merely says before grabbing her stuff. "It was nice meeting you Kristen. Diana." she bids them farewell and leaves the dining room.

Diana was livid.

"You are too nice." she hears the ginger say and this makes Diana stare at her. "I mean, to talk to someone like her."

"Someone like her?" Diana whispers.

"Yes, someone that is not from the magic community." Kristen merely explains to her. "Thinking that they can be witches just like that." she chuckles. "But then again, I know you're nice and polite to her because of your personality."

"I am nice to Akko because I like her." she replies firmly. "And, I believe that a witch's talent and value does not come from her family but from herself and her determination."

"Well, I agree to some extent…" Kristen defends herself. "But there are some people that no matter how hard they try will never be on the same level we are. That Akko girl, she's deluding herself into thinking that she'll achieve something more than what she already did." she continues saying. "The fact that she was there with you during the missile crisis, and managed to gain some sort of popularity out is all she can hope to get."

This makes Diana angrily stand up from the table and earn the attention of everyone in the dining room.

"I do not like it when people talk badly about my friends." Diana tells her bluntly. "Not only is that rude…" she continues explaining herself. "But it also makes me angry."

"You cannot be serious." Kristen laughs awkwardly. "I mean, I know you have a reputation to protect and all, but there must be better people around you than that Japanese excuse of a witch."

Diana, the moment she hears the younger witch say that, cannot stop herself from getting close to her, making Kristen step backwards.

"You will stop saying things like this." she threatens the younger witch. "Specially about Akko." she emphasizes and notices Hannah and Barbara coming their way. "No…" she tells them before they can sit down. "We're leaving." she gives Kristen one last angry look before making her leave.

 _She was not going to let anyone talk about Akko in such a way._

LWALWALWA

 _I need to find Akko…_ Diana thinks worriedly while walking through the hallways.

The moment she had returned to her room, she had told Hannah and Barbara everything that had happened during their absence. The girls were just as surprised and angry as she had been, telling her that they agreed with the way she acted in the dining room.

To Diana, having the support of her friends, was welcoming and encouraging.

It made her feel optimistic about the future of the magical community to be reminded that not all young witches were like Kristen and that there were many that could change and become better.

Just like Hannah, Barbara and herself had changed thanks to Akko.

"Diana!" the blonde witch hears her name and smiles when she recognizes the owner of said voice.

"Akko." she says relieved and closes her eyes when the brunette witch hugs her tight. "What are you doing here?"

"Well…" Akko gives her a warm smile. "I knew you would be on patrol tonight..." she chuckles. "And since we couldn't talk much during lunch." she adds and this makes Diana remember her previous anger. "Did you help that girl?"

"Help that girl?" Diana asks confused.

"Well yes." the brunette says naively. "I assume the reason she wanted to talk to you was because she wanted to ask for your help." she explains and this makes Diana feel even more tenderness and warmth for the Japanese girl.

 _Akko was too good and pure for her own good._

"You're just too precious Akko." Diana whispers and hugs her again. "And I'm very lucky to have you."

"I'm lucky to have you too." Akko says pleasantly confused and opens her eyes in shock when Diana kisses her on the lips. "Diana!" she whispers worriedly. "Someone could see us."

"I'm sorry." the blonde says simply and this makes Akko chuckle.

"You're not sorry."

"I'm not." Diana agrees and both girls laugh. "But what I am is late." she pouts. "I don't want to go to patrol."

"Am I really hearing Diana Cavendish be lazy?" Akko says teasingly.

"I want to cuddle with you!" the blonde complains while holding Akko tight.

This makes Akko chuckle.

"Then how about this…" she proposes. "How about you meet me at the gardens when your patrol is done and I'll get us some hot cocoa and marshmallows from the kitchen."

"How will you even get marshmallows?"

"The fairies owe me one." Akko winks at her and this makes Diana laugh yet again.

With Akko, Diana found herself laughing and smiling at the time.

The brunette's happiness was intoxicating.

"Then that sounds wonderful Akko." Diana promises her. "I cannot wait."

"Yay!" Akko quickly looks around and when she doesn't see anyone kisses her on the lips. "Then I'll better go get those treats." she jokes while running towards the kitchen.

"Don't let Professor Finneran catch you!" Diana warns her before returning to her route.

The sooner she finishes this the sooner she can go meet with Akko.

Continuing her patrol, it only takes Diana a couple of minutes to realize that someone was performing magic. Taking her wand out, she illuminates the magic object and sees that it is an enchanted blue bird.

 _"A blue bird latched itself to me!"_ she remembers Akko telling her earlier.

Wanting to catch the culprit responsible for making Akko late, Diana starts to run behind the bird, following it away from her patrol route into the forest. She should have stopped chasing the bird and instead sent a signal to warn Professor Finneran. But, after what had happened today at lunch, Diana felt compelled to capture the person responsible to inform the authorities.

Because it was the right thing to do.

Noticing that the terrain was getting steeper, Diana concentrates on the magical essence and huffs in relief when she feels it getting stronger. Taking out her wand, she finally watches the blue bird lose its power and fall to the ground.

Right in front of a familiar ginger witch.

"Kristen." Diana says tersely. "What are you doing here?"

"Diana!" Kristen smiles at her. "I wanted to apologize for making you angry this evening."

"This is not the time for this." the young heiress says firmly.

"I feel really bad about what happened and I wanted to make amends."

"If you want to make amends you have to apologize to Akko." Diana tells her and notices Kristen flinch and close her eyes bitterly.

"That will not happen."

"Then I have nothing more to say to you and you will return with me to Luna Nova."

"I'm afraid I can't do that either." Kristen replies simply. "You see, there are a lot of things I still wish to talk to you about."

"I do not wish you talk to you nor to be your friend, Kristen."

"Really?" the ginger says somberly. "You will not be my friend but still kiss a girl like Kagari."

 _Kiss a girl like…_

 _She saw us._

"Whatever it is you think you saw is none of your business." Diana tells her angrily.

"It is my business!" Kristen screams at her. "It is my business because this bitch is stealing you away from me."

"Stealing me?!"

"Diana, don't you see?! You and I are destiny. The fact that we always happen to meet at night, that we both come from powerful old families and are talented at magic!" she exclaims excitedly. "It means that we're compatible."

"All I see is a young girl who does not understand what it means to be a witch." Diana tells her somberly.

"Then help me!" Kristen gets close to her. "Help me understand! Teach me! Diana, all I want is to be with you. I have loved you from the moment I saw you bring magic back on the TV."

"Akko was the one that brought magic back." she says to a shocked Kristen. "And I will never love you."

"Because you love Akko?!" Kristen laughs. "Don't be ridiculous. No one will accept your relationship."

"I don't care about those things. Not if I can have Akko by my side."

"But your future!"

"Akko is my future." Diana replies confidently and knows she means what she says.

This makes the younger witch in front of her simply stare at her.

"Akko this, Akko that…" she mutters. "That's all you talk about. Well, I'm tired of it." she takes out her wand and starts chanting a spell.

"What are you doing?!" Diana asks when she feels the bird hitting her hand and taking her wand.

"Making sure you can't defend yourself!" Kristen chuckles. "I have to thank you for making sure my familiar returned safely to me."

"Your familiar?" the blonde asks angrily. "You mean you were the one that almost made Akko miss lunch today."

"If only it weren't for Shiny Chariot." she mutters. "But now we don't have to worry about them because we're all alone." she chuckles and takes a vial out of her pocket. "I bet you know what this is." she says when she notices her staring at the pink vial.

"A love potion." Diana says tersely.

"Yes! You see, I plan to make you drink this so that you'll fall in love with me. Once Akko sees this, and I make you break things off with her, you'll get used to being with me and will grow to love me." Kristen explains cheerfully.

"I will never love you." the blonde threatens her. "And Akko… She will not believe me?"

"Really?" the ginger witch asks knowingly. "You think she doesn't have doubts about your commitment to her? I mean, you haven't told anyone at school that you're together right? Does that mean that you're embarrassed of her?"

"Of course not!" Diana says scared. "Akko would never think that."

"How wouldn't she?" Kristen gets incredibly close. "When you haven't even told her how much she means to you." she whispers in her ear and opens the vial. "Now Diana, let me make things easier for you…" she soothes her and Diana closes her mouth desperately. "Nuh, nuh, open up."

Diana cries when she feels her mouth opening magically.

"Now say ah…" Kristen smiles and Diana doesn't know what she will do.

 _Akko… Please help me…_ she thinks and closes her eyes when she feels the vial touching her lips.

Nevertheless, before Kristen can make her drink the potion, she feels Kristen being pushed away from her.

Opening her eyes, she notices the ginger witch getting up from the ground while angrily staring behind her.

Turning around, Diana cries in relief when she sees Akko angrily pointing her wand at the younger witch.

"Akko!" she exclaims in complete shock and relief.

"You!" Kristen spits angrily. "How did you get here?!"

"Are you alright?" Akko ignores the ginger witch while focusing her whole attention on Diana, who nods in confirmation. "I'm glad."

"DON'T IGNORE ME!" Kristen screams and tries to hit her with a spell. "MUROWA!" she chants and watches in complete shock when Akko deflects her spell with a simple movement of her wand.

"I started getting worried when you failed to come to the garden." Akko explains to a surprised Diana fearfully. "And, when I searched for you and didn't find you anywhere in your route, I remembered that location spell you taught me."

"MUROWA! MUROWA!" Kristen continues screaming and shrieking in anger while watching her spells being deflected as if they were nothing.

"Akko..." Diana says shocked at the power Akko was using.

"And on my way here I suddenly heard your voice asking me to find you." the brunette whispers terrified. "Diana, I had never been so scared. Even when I was being attacked by McCallister, the fear I felt when I heard your voice…" she closes her eyes. "I don't ever want to feel that again."

"I'm sorry Akko." the blonde apologizes and starts walking towards Akko but is stopped by an incoming spell.

"I didn't give you permission to move!" Kristen yells at her and that's all it takes for Akko to lose it.

"Murowa." Akko says softly and her spell immediately hits Kristen straight in the chest.

Screaming in pain, Kristen turns around and notices Akko getting closer to her. Moving backwards in complete fear, she watches Akko tenderly caress Diana's cheek before focusing on her and making her way to where she was laying.

Bending down, the ginger witch can see that Akko's eyes are dark and that they held not a single trace of the friendliness and innocence she had seen during lunch.

"If you ever try to talk or hurt Diana again…" Akko threatens her. "I will kill you." she vows confidently and both Kristen and Diana know she means it.

"You will never do that!" Kristen challenges her. "Because the moment you do you'll no longer be a witch."

"And you think I care about that?" Akko laughs menacingly and that is what truly scares Kristen. "If so, then you're mistaken." she takes out her wand and magic starts pouring out of it.

"What's that?!"

"This?" she shrugs in boredom. "Your punishment." she prepares herself.

"Akko…" Diana says and watches Akko relax her stance. "That's enough."

"But she almost hurt you!" the brunette says angrily. "She deserves to pay."

"I agree." she promises. "But we will do this the right way and let the professors take care of her punishment."

"Diana…" Akko closes her eyes.

"Please…" Diana gets close to Akko. "Let them do this. Because if you do so…" she whispers. "It means you'll stoop to her level." it's when she says that that she knows Akko will let things go.

"Ok…" she whispers and sends a signal to Ursula. "There, all done." she chokes out and cries when Diana hugs her tight. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" she asks confused. "Why are you sorry?"

"I'm sorry you saw me like that." Akko continues bawling. "But I meant every word Diana. And I don't regret what I said at all."

"I know." Diana tells her soothingly. "Because I would have done the same thing if our situations would have been reversed. Almost did the same during lunch when she started saying mean things about you."

"Diana…"

"You mean everything to me, Akko." she vows desperately. "And I will never feel or be ashamed of you. NEVER!"

"Thank you, Diana." Akko hiccups. "For believing in me."

"Thank you for saving me." the blonde cries as well.

"Always." Akko promises her. "I promised you that I would stay with you always." she reminds Diana of their promise and the young heiress knows that the brunette meant it.

And that their relationship, the bond that had been created between them, was forever.

* * *

I wanted to make a chapter where Akko would be the one saving Diana because it's usually Diana saving Akko hahaha. Hope you like it!


	20. Small Times Two

Croix is tired of having Professor Finneran mess with her 'alone time' with Chariot. Hence, she concocts the perfect plan to stop this.  
But because it's Croix, the opposite happens.

This chapter takes place after chapter 16. Akko and Diana are 18.

* * *

"I'm back." Croix says tired while walking inside their room.

"Welcome back!" she hears Chariot say to her from the bathroom. "Give me a second."

She had just finished giving some extra classes after some of the girls in the main class approached her with the suggestion. At first, Croix had been excited since it meant that her type of magic was becoming relevant and that her future as a professor in Luna Nova was cementing itself.

In fact, Croix had seen the course as a once in a month program that would make the girls practice with the inventions they created in class. But, after somehow finding out about her project, Finneran had instead suggested to have the course be taught every Friday and Saturday.

And naïve Principal Holbrook had believed that Finneran was doing so because she was getting closer to forgiving Croix when in fact she knew the old woman had done it to mess her weekends with Chariot.

"I hate that woman!" she pouts and throws herself, literally, to the bed.

"Who?" the red-head asks still from the bathroom.

"Finneran, who else." Croix huffs and closes her eyes. "She's literally having me teach this course every weekend because she knows those are the days we can go out."

"I don't think those are her intentions." the lilac-haired woman hears the door opening and steps coming her way.

"We both know that old woman is pretty capable." she groans and opens her eyes.

 _Damn…_ is all Croix can think when she sees Chariot standing in front of her in a black bra and panties ensemble.

"Well, why should we let her get away with it…" Ursula smirks while getting closer to the older woman who gulps.

"We… We totally shouldn't!" Croix exclaims desperately.

"Indeed." the red-haired woman smiles and waits for Croix to sit on the bed before straddling her lap. "Hi." she smiles sweetly when the inventor blushes.

"Hi…" the other woman stutters because she still couldn't believe how lucky she was of being in a relationship with Chariot.

"Won't you kiss me hello?" Ursula teases her and that's all Croix needs to close the distance between them.

Both moaning and grabbing each other tighter, the lilac-haired inventor desperately kisses and tries to touch every part of Chariot's body. It had been so long since they had done this; the only type of contact having been partying kisses and hugs.

"I've missed you." Croix whispers tenderly to her while separating from Ursula's mouth and catching her breath by kissing her neck and collarbone. "You have no idea how much."

"So have I." Ursula promises her immediately. "But I am happy that your class is popular and that there are so many girls that want to learn from you."

"Char…" the inventor groans and purposely bites her girlfriend's neck. "No more talk about school now."

"Ok, ok." the former performer moans and again finds Croix's lips, this time moving her hands lower and making sure of teasing the older woman's breasts.

"Yes, right there…" Croix moans and uses her own hands to encourage Ursula to grab her tighter.

"There?" Ursula asks her carefully while moving lower and kissing the older woman's breasts after getting her top and bra off.

"Chariot!" is the answer Croix gives her and she knows that's encouragement enough for the younger woman who continues licking and exploring her. "Chariot, Chariot." she continues chanting in complete bliss. "Please don't tease me." she begs when she stops feeling the red-head moving her tongue.

 _I swear I'm going to kill her…_ Croix is ready to scream but then hears snoring coming from her chest.

 _No… It can't be…_ she opens her eyes and sees Chariot sleeping soundly on her chest, using her breasts as pillows.

"Chariot!" she shrieks and this makes her girlfriend wake up.

"Croix?" Ursula asks momentarily confused but then blushes in embarrassment when she remembers what they were doing.

"You… You fell asleep while having sex with me!" Croix cries and knows that the younger woman is mortified.

"I… I'm sorry." Ursula stutters while trying to grab Croix's hands. "I was just so tired from my lessons and it took you longer to get back that I got sleepy."

"No Char, this cannot happen to us! Not yet!" the older woman screams. "We're not old enough to be falling asleep while having sex!"

"I know!" the red-haired woman says embarrassed. "I don't like this either! But I'm just so tired!"

"Then let's fix this." Croix says determined. "We will not, for any reason, give up sex Chariot."

This makes the younger woman stare worriedly at her girlfriend.

"Come on Char, get dressed and come help me find these ingredients." she is instructed by the inventor. "I need to take out one of my cauldrons and a potion book I got from a traveler."

"A traveler?" Ursula asks worriedly. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she's starting to think that this may not be a good idea.

"Do you, or don't you, wish to have sex tonight?" Croix asks her simply and Ursula closes her eyes when her feet take her to get the ingredients her girlfriend had asked her.

She knows she should stop Croix. But then again, it had really been a long time since the two of them had sex and she was just as desperate as Croix was.

 _Basically, she was needy._

Besides, it wasn't like Croix could do something that would get them in trouble.

 _Right?_

LWALWALWA

"Akko, maybe we shouldn't bother them." Diana says to her while following her to Ursula and Croix's room.

"They were the ones that told us to meet for a picnic." Akko reminds her girlfriend. "It's already 2pm and I'm starving Diana. I want to eat." she complains.

This makes Diana chuckle.

"I swear you mostly think with your stomach Akko." the blonde teases her. "Tell me, what if there is a reason Professors Ursula and Croix are running late?"

"A reason?" Akko asks naively and this makes Diana groan.

 _Seriously…_

"You know what I'm trying to imply."

"Maybe I don't." the brunette teases her.

"Cheeky." Diana huffs.

"It's your fault because you will not let me eat until they arrive. Think of me teasing you a part of my sweet revenge." Akko chuckles and checks if someone is around.

When she confirms that no one is there she kisses Diana on the lips.

"Akko!" the blonde huffs embarrassed.

"I couldn't help myself." she apologizes.

"Professor Finneran could have seen us!" Diana reminds her. "And you know what she did last time when she saw us kissing in school halls."

A week of after class cleaning the floors.

"I don't think my knees will ever forget it." Akko whispers while looking around her.

Diana laughs at her girlfriend's antics.

"Seriously Akko…" she smiles tenderly and hugs the brunette tight. "I truly love you."

"I love you too Diana." Akko grabs her hand and pulls her forward. "But I'm really hungry and let's go get those two!"

"Ok, ok." Diana agrees and decides that taking one of the secret halls could be permitted. "Just because you're starving." she warns Akko who nods happily. "Not for you to use them when you try to steal sweets from the kitchen."

"Hai!" the brunette promises her girlfriend before running forward. "You can't catch me!" she screams while moving to the Astronomy Tower. "Last one there has to do the other's homework."

"But that would only benefit you!" the heiress huffs and can hear Akko laughing.

"I know, that's why I do it!" she screams and gets to the older women's room first. "Ha, good thing I made this bet with Diana cause I had a horrible magic arithmetic homework." she chuckles before knocking. "Ursula Sensei? Croix Sensei?"

"I will not do that homework." Diana says from behind her after a couple of seconds go by.

"But you lost the bet."

"You need to be capable of doing your homework alone."

"And you need to learn how to run faster, Diana." Akko says and immediately kisses her on the lips so she doesn't get too upset.

D _amn it…_ Diana thinks with a fond smile.

"Still no answer?" the blonde asks when Akko knocks and calls their professors yet again.

"Maybe they overslept?" Akko starts theorizing but then they both hear noises coming from the room. "Oh, they're up." she says happily and opens the door with the spell Ursula taught her. "Sumimasen…" she enters the room and stops suddenly.

"Akko, don't just stay in the middle of the door." Diana complains when her girlfriend doesn't move. "I also want to get in." she tries to push Akko but the Japanese girl is stronger than her. "Akko!"

"Diana, look." the brunette moves a little to the left and that's when Diana sees what had made her girlfriend stop talking.

Right in front of them there were standing a young Croix and Ursula.

"Ursula, Croix Sensei?!" the Japanese girl finally seems to react, making the two older (well, younger now) women look worriedly at them.

"They don't remember us." Diana whispers to her girlfriend and watches Croix move to cover Ursula.

"What, who are you two?!" Croix asks menacingly while pointing her wand at the two of them.

"Croix!" Ursula admonishes immediately. "Don't point your wand at people you don't know."

"That's precisely why I'm pointing my wand at them." the lilac-haired girl says exasperated.

"But that's rude." the red-haired girl pouts. "This is why people think you're mean."

This makes Akko and Diana chuckle, something that is also noticed by the lilac-haired girl.

"Chariot!" she complains. "Why are you always like this?!"

"We are not here to hurt you." Diana interrupts their argument. "We're here looking for our professors. My name is Diana Cavendish and the girl standing next to me is named Atsuko Kagari."

"Nice to meet you!" Akko smiles. "You can call me Akko."

"Your professors?" they hear Ursula's voice ask from behind Croix. "Maybe those professors can help us Croix."

"We don't know them, we can't trust them." Croix says firmly.

"But you do know us Croix Sensei." Akko is the one that speaks now. "You both are professors here at Luna Nova."

"Professors?" Croix laughs. "But you two are older than us. Do you mean to tell us that we know more magic than you do?"

"Perhaps at the moment you do not." Diana smiles. "But usually you are more knowledgeable when it comes to magic."

"You see..." Akko smiles warmly. "You two are our mentors and closest friends."

"You're lying to us." the lilac-haired girl says defiantly.

"Croix!" Ursula scolds her.

"It's true Char! This is probably some joke one of the seniors tried to do on you and we can't remember about it."

"So they don't remember a thing about their time as adults." Diana murmurs and does a quick spell to check for traces of magic. "And I can sense both Professor Ursula and Croix's magic."

"Well, then that eliminates any kind of foul play from outside the room." Akko says relived. "Which means that the person who did this must have been Croix-Sensei."

"WHAT?!" they hear the younger version of their mentor shriek. "How dare you accuse me of something I haven't done?!"

"Well, I guess this is not _your_ fault." the brunette explains to her. "But the fault of your older, less mature self. Although that is quite interesting. That you are so serious when our Croix Sensei is so childish."

"Croix is not serious." Ursula informs them with a happy smile. "She's just very bad at first impressions but once you get close to her she's really sweet and warm." she adds to the embarrassment of the lilac-haired girl.

"Oh, so she's like a tsundere!" Akko exclaims happily.

"I am not whatever you just said I am!" Croix says upset. "Besides, you do not simply expect us to believe you when we don't even know you."

"She is right." Diana murmurs. "Akko…" she calls for her girlfriend after having finished her list of spells. "When I went to check the bedroom I found a cauldron along with leftover ingredients."

"So then it really was Croix Sensei's fault."

"Well, she was responsible. In some part." the blonde blushes while taking out a piece of paper from her pocket and giving it to Akko.

 _Dear Akko and Diana,_

 _By the moment you find this letter, Chariot and I will probably have reverted to our teenage selves._

 _The reason why this happened is because of a potion Chariot and I made and one in which I (Chariot forced me to emphasize on this) miscalculated the ingredients. Unfortunately, this potion does not have an antidote but rather the effects must wear out by themselves._

 _In the meantime, please take care of us like we usually have to take care of you two._

 _Love, Croix and Chariot._

 _PS, I was not a tsundere Akko._

"Does she think that by guilt-tripping us she'll make us want to help her?" Akko asks amused and remembers that Diana was blushing. "Why were you blushing when you gave me the letter?"

"Because the potion they wanted to make was called 'all night passionate love'." Diana whispers and this makes the brunette laugh loudly.

"This is too much fun!" she smirks. "How shall we tell those two girls that the reason they're this way is because they wanted to have non-stop sex?"

"We cannot tell them." Diana says to her while noticing the way Croix was stepping away from Ursula's touch. "Because those two are not together."

"What?!" Akko shrieks and notices the lilac-haired girl be uncomfortable with Ursula. "Don't tell me we got them in the awkward 'I like you but I can't tell you' stage?" she complains and chuckles when Ursula pretends she has not noticed Croix moving away and again grabs her hand. "Although Ursula Sensei is very persistent. I like that."

Diana smiles softly at the familiar sight in front of her.

Meanwhile, Croix was getting tired of not knowing what was happening. She couldn't attack those two older girls because they had done nothing to either of them and it really seemed that they had some idea of what was occurring.

Hence, her best chance at getting some answers came from them.

But Chariot had been holding her close and that was making her get nervous. And the last thing they needed right now was for her to feel embarrassed and aroused.

"I know what to do." Akko smiles and grabs Diana's hand while heading towards the two girls.

A sight that was not missed by Croix and Ursula.

"In order to prove to you both that we do know you; how about Diana and I tell something you something we know about you?" the brunette smirks.

"That does sound like a good idea." the Cavendish heir compliments her girlfriend.

"I can have good ideas." Akko pouts and this makes Ursula chuckle.

"We have nothing to lose." the red-haired girl tells Croix amused.

"I guess you're right." Croix surrenders. "Ok, fine, I guess you can try."

"Let me go first!" Akko says excitedly and thinks for a while of what she will say. "Ok, I got it!" she stares at Ursula. "Your familiar is a crow and his name is Alcor."

"He is!" Ursula answers excited.

"And, that's not the only one you have." Diana says now to a surprised Ursula. "You also have a bear named Arcas, who was your childhood pet before you made Alcor your familiar."

"In fact, you wanted to make Arcas your familiar at first but Luna Nova has a policy when it comes to big animals. Hence, your parents surprised you a week before classes started with Alcor." Akko adds warmly. "But you knew you would miss Arcas too much so you brought him with you, making him stay near the Fountain of Polaris."

"You're right." the red-hair says softly. "About everything."

This makes Croix stare at the two older witches in complete shock.

Not even she knew about Arcas being here at Luna Nova!

"And Professor Croix." Diana says amused. "What could we even say about her?"

"She loves ramen." Akko adds cheerfully.

"Anyone can know that." Croix stutters.

"Does everyone know that you're quite messy?" Diana asks her cheekily. "And that your laboratory is always a mess?"

Croix blushes.

"Right! Remember that time we had to force her to fix it because there were literally metal parts and boxes of ramen on the floor?"

"Indeed, and if I'm not mistaken, your tidiness is one of the main reasons you get into fights with your teammates?" Diana adds warmly.

"I try to clean things." Croix murmurs embarrassed. "It's just that sometimes I get too excited and I forget."

"We know." Akko says knowingly. "You get so happy when you finish one of your inventions that you immediately want to test it out."

"You do that all the time!" Ursula adds happily. "They do know us Croix!"

"It seems they do." Croix admits embarrassed. "But if you do know us, why can't we remember you?"

"You took a potion and the effect misfired." Akko says simply.

"It wasn't my fault, right?!" Ursula shrieks.

"What potion did we drink? What are the effects? Is there an antidote?! How would you know the answers to these questions?!" Croix panics as well.

"We know what happened because your older versions informed us in a letter written shortly before the potion took effect." Diana tells them calmly. "Unfortunately, the potion does not have an antidote and the effect will pass by itself."

"Do you know the name of the spell?" Ursula asks softly.

Diana and Akko both stare at each other.

"I'm afraid we cannot tell you." Diana says firmly.

"Well that's convenient." Croix says bitterly.

"Croix!" Ursula reprimands her while getting close and holding her friend's hand. "Don't take it out on them." she warns her. "In fact, why don't we calm down and listen to the rest of what they have to say?" she tries to hug Croix but the older girl flinches and separates from her.

This rejection is not missed by Akko and Diana who feel bad for Ursula.

"No Char, this is not alright." she exclaims while pointing at Diana. "Why won't she tell us the name of the potion? She seems like she knows what's going on with us! I demand you to tell us!" she screams at Diana and immediately feels herself being held by the older brunette witch.

"Listen Croix." Akko says firmly to her. "I don't know what it is you're going through right now…" she continues speaking. "But you will not scream at my girlfriend or accuse her of something that isn't true."

"Your… Your girlfriend?" Ursula asks her surprised.

"And…" Akko gets really close to Croix. "Don't think I have forgotten that you told me that the reason you never told Chariot what you feel is because your mother would never accept it." she separates from the lilac-haired girl and notices her staring widely at her.

"Croix?" Ursula asks worriedly and comes to check on her friend who flinches yet again when she feels her touch.

"I, I have to go." Croix whispers before going to the bedroom and locking herself up.

"Akko…" Diana says to her girlfriend and the brunette knows that she's in trouble. "Could you please go with Chariot to get the basket we left outside so we can have our picnic here?"

Nodding in confirmation, Akko gets close to Diana and apologizes to her before going to the bedroom door and also issuing an apology to Croix.

When there's no answer for a couple of minutes, Akko merely apologizes again before turning around to look at Ursula.

"Ok, let's go." the Japanese girl smiles warmly and grabs Ursula's hand before walking out.

"But Croix…" the red-haired says worriedly.

"Don't worry." Akko tells her simply. "I'm sure that Diana will make sure she's alright."

"Diana… Is she really your girlfriend?" Ursula asks her hopefully.

"Yes." the brunette smiles. "I bet it must be very surprising because of how she is; beautiful and smart."

"It's surprising because she's a girl." the red-haired girl whispers.

"Oh, is it weird for you to see women liking and being with each other?" Akko asks curiously.

"Well, not really." Ursula says softly. "But for people that come from families like the one Croix comes from…" she closes her eyes.

"Do you like Croix?" the brunette asks her.

"I do." Ursula admits simply. "But I know that nothing will come out of it because Croix doesn't see me that way."

"You'll never know until you ask her, right?" Akko smiles.

"But what if she rejects me? What will happen to our friendship then? I'll lose her forever."

"Are you happy with the way your relationship is right now? And would you feel happy if it stayed that way?"

This makes Ursula stare hard at the floor.

"Of course I'm not." she confesses bitterly. "But there's nothing I can do about it because Croix will never go against her mom and her family." she smiles sadly. "Not for me."

"I think…" Akko says to her with an understanding smile. "That people can surprise us in the most unexpected ways. So don't lose hope, Chariot. Have faith in the bond you two have and I'm sure things will work out."

This makes Ursula stare curiously at her.

"Croix and I…" she says to Akko carefully. "Are we close when we get older?"

"If I told you the answer then that would be cheating, wouldn't it?" Akko smiles cheekily and runs away when Ursula tries to hit her.

"Akko!" she laughs and follows the older girl to the gardens.

Having some fun and not worrying about anything was certainly nice.

LWALWALWA

Closing her eyes, Croix can't stop herself from feeling guilty about the way she had treated Chariot.

It wasn't Chariot's fault that she had fallen in love with her.

It wasn't the red-haired girl's fault that she was a coward.

It was hers.

For being scared of her mother's rejection and her position in the family. For not being brave enough to let Chariot know her feelings and instead hurting her in the process.

Because although Croix knew that she couldn't tell Chariot what she felt, she was still selfish enough to want her close.

She was a despicable human being.

"Croix?" the lilac-haired girl hears the blonde girl calling her.

"Go away." she murmurs and reinforces the spell she placed on the door.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible." she hears and opens her eyes in shock when her spell is immediately nullified.

"What?! How?!"

"You created that spell." Diana says simply to her. "And you taught me in one of our lessons how to break it."

"Seems like I kept no secrets with anyone then." she huffs annoyed.

"As an adult you are a very open and honest person, Croix." the blonde sits on the bed.

"That seems so far away of the way I am now."

"People grow, people change with time." Diana smiles. "But before I forget, on behalf of my girlfriend I apologize for the way she acted towards you. It was not right of her."

"Why are you apologizing? She defended you." Croix says surprised.

"She could have done it differently." the blonde tells her. "And knowing Akko, she must have said something very important in order to make you stop fighting, right?"

This makes Croix look away from her.

"She didn't say anything that wasn't the true." the lilac-haired girl admits defeatedly.

"Still, that does not make what she did right and I apologize."

"I don't blame her. She did what she was supposed to do when the person you like is being attacked."

"You were not attacking me." Diana says calmly. "In fact, it's pretty understandable to react the way you did since you don't remember what happened to you."

"Still, I was not being kind to you." Croix adds and the blonde can't deny that. "And for that I'm sorry." she apologizes.

"There is nothing to forgive." Diana promises her kindly. "But what we could do instead is talk for a little while? Until Akko and Chariot come back?"

"Chariot left?!" the lilac-haired girl asks worriedly. "Where is she? Why did she leave?" she asks panicking. "It wasn't because of the way I acted, right?!"

"Don't worry, she just went with Akko to get some food for all of us." the blonde soothes the younger girl. "We were supposed to have a picnic together and that's the reason why we came to this room to get you."

This makes Croix stare curiously at Diana.

"Does that mean that Chariot and I stay here together?" she asks hopefully.

"I don't know." Diana lies a little bit. "Usually you two are together."

"So we're friends then." Croix says dejectedly. "That's good."

"You don't sound very happy about it."

"I… I guess I'm not." the younger girl says chuckling. "Maybe I was just hoping that things would become different once I grew up."

"Different in what way?" Diana asks her curiously.

"In the way that I would stop being a coward." Croix whispers bitterly.

This makes Diana get closer to her and grab her hand.

"Would you like to share?" she asks the lilac-haired girl softly and feels her squeezing her hand in return.

"Akko told me what I have already known for a while." Croix closes her eyes. "Something that I've been afraid of admitting to myself in fear of it becoming something that I would be incapable of hiding."

"Why would you need to hide it?"

"Because my family wouldn't accept it. My mother would hate me." she then gives Diana a curious look. "Your relationship with Akko… Is it known?"

"Yes, everyone knows we're together." Diana smiles softly. "It's been three years since Akko and I started dating."

"That's a long time." she whispers surprised. "Your last name…" she mutters. "Is Cavendish. You come from one of the nine olde families."

"And your last name comes from the line of the nine olde witches as well." Diana remembers. "Your ancestor was the cousin of Cassandra the Prodigy."

"Yes, Kathleen the Accepting." Croix says angrily. "Although she was called the 'accepting' our family has always been backwards and traditional when it comes to magic."

This makes Diana give her an understanding look.

"With your type of magic, I imagine it must be hard to get your family's approval."

Croix stares surprised at her.

"Of course." she chuckles warmly. "I sometimes forget that you know me very well. But yes, my family has never accepted magitronics. And I've gotten over that." she adds. "But, there are some things that I just can't do."

"Like being in a relationship with another woman?"

"No, not that." Croix closes her eyes. "My family is not concerned with those things."

"Then what?" now Diana is honestly curious.

"Bloodlines." is all the lilac-haired girl tells her and now Diana understands.

"Although I haven't heard much from the Meridies, I think that some members of the Meridies bloodline are very traditional when it comes to maintaining pure bloodlines."

"My family would never accept any relationship that could taint our 'pure' bloodline." Croix says bitterly. "And Chariot, she, she doesn't come from a pure bloodline."

"And I assume Chariot does not know of this?"

"How could I even tell her that the reason I can't be with her is because of her blood." she cries dejectedly. "That my family, no matter what she did, would never accept her over something she cannot control."

Diana gives her a sad smile.

"My family, while they didn't care much about bloodlines, are very particular when it comes to marriages. The goal of the Cavendish is to expand and to continue the family."

"Children. Your relationships are meant to produce children." Croix realizes what the blonde is telling her.

"And last time I check, women cannot have biological children with each other." Diana jokes with her.

"But then how?" Croix asks curiously. "How did your family accept your relationship then?"

"They haven't." Diana admits determined. "But the moment I become the heir that will change. And, although my aunt is the head of the family, she knows that Akko is pretty determined and stubborn." she smirks at that last part remembering the time Akko visited the manor with her.

"But that's because you will become the heir. I, on the other hand, will never gain that control over the family to change things."

"The Croix I know." Diana tells her firmly. "Has never needed others to create the change she has wanted." she then gets close to Croix and grabs her hands tightly. "Don't ever be afraid… Of what others may think of you. Especially when it comes to being with the person you love…" she emphasizes and can see the younger girl staring wide at her.

Nevertheless, before Croix can answer her, they hear someone knocking at the door and almost immediately listen to Akko and Chariot laughing and talking with each other.

"Diana!" Akko screams from the living room. "I'm back!"

Chuckling, the blonde witch stands up from the bed.

"As you can probably hear, my child is back." she jokes before heading towards the door. "I hope that our talked helped you feel a little better."

"It did." Croix smiles softly at her. "Thank you."

"Anytime." Diana promises her warmly. "Will you be coming out to eat?"

"In a second." she tells the older girl and sees her leaving the door and being tackled by the excited brunette.

 _I will stop being afraid…_

LWALWALWA

"Seriously Akko…" Ursula says to her gleefully. "Did you really have to make Professor Finneran think that she had lost her maps?"

"Come on, you had fun as well!" Akko chuckles.

"What if Professor Finneran finds out you were the one moving her maps?"

"What Professor Finneran doesn't know won't hurt me." the brunette says proudly.

"Oh really?" the two witches hear Diana's voice saying from behind them and both turn around to look at the blonde witch carefully.

"Hey Dia!" Akko says happily and goes to hug her girlfriend, who stops her because she can close the distance between them. "Why?" she pouts.

"No hugs for you until you apologize to Croix for being rude." Diana informs her firmly.

"But I already apologized!" the Japanese witch groans.

"Well, she didn't hear you darling." she hears Croix coming out of the room and sees Akko immediately run towards the lilac-haired girl.

"Croix Sensei, I'm really sorry!" Akko apologizes honestly. "What I said, I didn't have to say it like that." she looks down in embarrassment. "But I couldn't help myself because you were hurting my Diana." she whispers the last part to the amusement of Croix and the embarrassment of Diana.

"That's alright Akko." Croix tells her with a soft smile. "I was out of line as well." she adds while giving Ursula an apologetic look.

"Ok, that makes me happy." Akko smiles and then runs to Diana who huffs but still hugs Akko tight.

"Seriously…" Diana blushes but they all know she's happy. "You're such a child."

"Come on, you love me this way."

"Indeed I do." the blonde tells her simply and this makes Croix feel really envious.

If only she had the same strength to say what she felt to Chariot so freely.

"Char…" she whispers instead while getting close to the red-haired girl. "I… I want to apologize to you too."

"Croix, there's nothing to apologize." Ursula gives her a bright smile.

"No, there is." Croix remains determined. "I was rude to you as well and for that I'm sorry."

"No Croix, I was pushing you too much and that was my bad." the red-haired girl gives her a sad smile. "There are just some things that one cannot force on another." she murmurs dejectedly while moving to the table. "Now, I know I'm not the only one starving."

 _Things one cannot force on another…_ Croix thinks worriedly while watching Chariot sit in one of the chairs.

 _Does… Does this mean that she will stop trying?_

 _That she will move on?_

"Yes! Let's eat." Akko says and runs to the table.

Meanwhile, Diana had been staring at Croix and the way she had frozen on her spot. She knew that the words Ursula had said to her were being processed and analyzed; and most probably reaching some terrible conclusions on the lilac-haired girl's mind.

 _I cannot let her move on. Not when I decided to…_ Croix thinks desperately and again focuses on Chariot who is laughing at something Akko had said to her.

Chariot had stop laughing that way when she was in Croix's company. She was happy, and she smiled, but not the way she was currently doing with Akko. And Croix, she knew deep inside of her that she was the reason Chariot was feeling down recently.

Because although she was not a genius when it came to things of love and relationship; she was not stupid.

She knew Chariot had been trying to tell her how she felt. But, when she felt the red-haired girl getting too close, she always made an excuse and prevented Chariot from speaking.

She took the coward's way out.

But watching Akko and Diana love and be affectionate with each other had made Croix crave the same thing.

She wanted that kind of relationship with Chariot.

No, she needed it because she needed Chariot in her life.

"Chariot!" Croix screams and immediately earns the attention of the three other witches in the room.

Nervously looking up, Croix is starting to lose her confidence and is close to shutting down. But, Chariot deserved better than that. She deserved to know what she felt for her and that she was not embarrassed of her.

"I like you Chariot!" Croix says bluntly and can see Chariot's shocked face. "That's wrong." she corrects herself. "I don't like you, I think I love you."

Meanwhile, Akko had gotten up from her chair with a soft smile to stand close to Diana, who was staring at the scene with a bemused smile on her face.

"What kind of magic did you do in the 30 minutes Ursula Sensei and I were gone?" Akko asks with a bright smile.

"I just talked to her." Diana simply says and feels Akko hugging her tight.

"I bet that was what Croix-Sensei needed. Someone to hear and advise her." the brunette tells her sweetly. "Seriously Diana, when I think I cannot love you more you do things like this…"

"Now Akko…" the blonde teases her. "Don't try to take the spotlight away from those two." she points to Croix and Ursula who had gotten closer.

"You love me?" Ursula asks softly. "But, I thought you only liked me as a friend."

"I love you." Croix confirms firmly. "And, I've wanted to be more than friends for such a long time."

"You've known how I've felt this whole time." the red-haired says to her and Croix confirms this. "Why now? Is it because we're this way and nothing will happen when the potion's effect is nullified?"

"No!" the older girl promises her vehemently. "It's because this is what I feel and I can no longer hide it!" she gets even closer to Chariot and grabs her hands. "Chariot, ever since you came into my life you've changed things for the better. You've made me happier and kinder. I, I know I wouldn't be the witch I am today without your support."

"Croix…" Chariot says moved.

"And although nothing may come out of this confession, I wanted you to know that I love you because of who you are and that you're the first and last thing I think of." she vows and sees Chariot blush.

 _So cute…_

"Wow, Croix-Sensei has game!" Akko adds amused and this makes the two younger girls remember that they were not alone. "Now you two, don't start being shy in the best part! Besides, Chariot hasn't answered you."

"That's right." Croix continues determined. "Do you… Do you still feel something for me?"

This makes Ursula give her a dashing smile.

But, instead of answering her with her words, she gets close to Croix and confidently grabs her face tenderly.

"This is my answer." Chariot whispers to Croix and afterwards kisses her on the lips.

The moment the two of them kissed, a ray of light came pouring out of them, temporarily blinding Akko and Diana. After a couple of seconds went by and the light finally dissipated, both Akko and Diana noticed that kissing in front of them were now the older versions of Croix and Ursula.

"So cliché!" Akko shrieks happily and this makes the older women separate from each other and stare curiously at the two younger witches.

"Akko?"

"Diana?" they both asks and then look at each other.

"We're back to normal!" Croix exclaims happily. "What time is it?"

"I think almost 5?" Diana is not sure.

"Well, that wasn't so long." she says relieved. "How old were we?"

"Mmm, maybe 15." Akko says. "It was before you got the Shiny Rod."

"I see." Ursula adds softly. "And, did we cause you any troubles?"

"Not at all." Diana promises her.

"Well…" Akko adds and this makes the blonde and red-haired witch give her a knowing look. "Maybe Professor Finneran will think that you were the one responsible of moving her maps…"

"What?!" Ursula shrieks. "Akko, she will kill me!"

"Now that's funny!" Croix laughs and remembers because of Finneran why they even made the potion. "So, did the effects of the potion run out?"

"Not exactly." Diana blushes.

"Oh no, what did we do?" Ursula asks mortified.

"Seriously?" Akko asks cheekily. "You broke the curse with true love's kiss!"

"We did what?" Croix blushes. "We kissed?"

"Yes! You went all Casanova and confessed to Ursula-Sensei your feelings in front of everyone."

"Everyone?!"

"By everyone she means she and me." Diana calms her down.

"You confessed your feelings to me?" Ursula asks Croix shocked. "You mean you'll felt this way since we were kids?"

"Wait, you mean you didn't know?!" Diana and Akko ask completely shocked.

"She never told me."

"I… I couldn't at the time." Croix says softly. "I was too much of a coward to go against my mother and my family."

"And I was too naïve to not realize that Croix's family would never accept me." Ursula adds sadly. "It wasn't until I graduated Luna Nova that I finally realized how complicated the magical community would be."

"But to hear you say that I confessed to Chariot what I felt…" Croix smiles. "It, for some reason, makes me feel so much better."

"Why?"

"Because I can have the satisfaction of knowing that I could finally say the truth to you. That I was capable of following my heart."

"Croix..." Ursula says moved and turns to look at Akko and Diana. "Please tell me I responded her feelings."

"You were the one that kissed her." Diana smirks when both women blush.

"So bold Ursula-Sensei." Akko continues teasing them and winks at Diana.

Diana, knowing what Akko was trying to do, grabs Akko's hands.

"Do you… Do you still feel something for me?" the blonde asks dramatically.

Akko, confidently closes the distance between them and uses her hands to tenderly hold Diana's face.

"This is my answer." she whispers and kisses Diana, moving her wand and making fireworks appear on top of them.

Meanwhile, the two older witches felt mortified with this little 'reenactment' the two younger women were giving them.

"Seriously, is there something those two haven't seen us do?!" Ursula whispers while thinking of how embarrassing this was.

"I think it's great." Croix says happily to her. "That they saw us that way."

"Really, why?"

"Well, because they somehow managed to make us confess to each other what we felt. It means that this connection that we share this same is something that could even be felt by our younger selves."

"We trusted them." Ursula can see what her girlfriend is telling her.

"And based on what I can see." she points to Akko and Diana who are still kissing. "We had fun!"

"Croix!" the red-haired shrieks but also chuckles when Diana uses her wand to end the fireworks because they were too bright.

 _Seriously…_ she thinks bemusedly… _the thinks I do for those three._


	21. Kagari and Cavendish

After watching Rizzoli and Isles and feeling all disappointed about it, Diana enlists Croix's help to fix the show.  
But, since it's Croix the one helping, that can only mean trouble...

Notes:

Hey, so I'm back after a big while! Sorry I haven't updated this story in such a long time but life has been crazy. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as I enjoyed writing it!

* * *

If there was one guilty pleasure Diana had acquired from dating Atsuko Kagari it was watching television.

Although television was not a foreign concept to her since they had their own network and tv shows inside Luna Nova, Diana had found out that the quality and content that witches' networks produced simply did not compare to the vast variety of modern television. And, after theorizing for many days, Diana had concluded that the lack of good television was the fault of Nightfall. Why? Well, it was because most entertainment content produced and released by witches' television channels had to do with the novels.

And Diana had never been a fan of the series.

Lucky for her, Akko also wasn't a very big fan of the series, which meant that they had needed to find something to watch together that had nothing to do with Nightfall. And thankfully, Akko had brought with her to Luna Nova a tablet.

Which had led them to discovering Rizzoli and Isles.

Diana had become quickly enraptured with the story, the bond Jane and Maura shared with each other and the clear romantic tension the writers and producers had been working on since the first episode of the show.

In fact, Diana had been adamantly expecting for that instant in which their friendship evolved and turned romantic. She had been looking forward to it and had truly believed that the writers would give them that dreamed-of ending she honestly believed they deserved.

So when instead all they got was an ambiguous trip together to Paris (of all places), Diana was ready to toss the first available object at the magic ball they were using to watch the last episode.

"Diana!" Akko says to her while managing to not laugh out-loud. "You're gonna break the tv if you throw that."

"I just… I just can't believe it!" the blonde heiress says truly upset. "Seven seasons! We went through seven seasons, some way better than others, to get that ending?! I mean, why?!"

This makes Akko chuckle.

"Although homosexual couples are accepted in most places, when it comes to entertainment and media, they don't tend to be the main characters. Most of the times, those relationships come from side characters. In fact, there are a very specific number of shows that I can think of that have their main characters be gay."

"Really?" Diana asks surprised. "So what do they call all that teasing and bonding and 'I love you too' moments Jane and Maura shared?!"

"A very deep friendship?" Akko chuckles knowingly. "Trust me, I am just as upset as you are about it. Especially when they tried to introduce romantic heterosexual interests for the two of them. They just had no chemistry at all with Jane and Maura."

"Because Jane and Maura are soulmates!" the blonde says confidently. "It's almost like they're Ying and Yang. You know, opposites attract."

"Trust me, I know." the brunette girl says teasingly.

"Is there something you're trying to say?" Diana asks her girlfriend.

Akko laughs.

"You do know that many people say that about us, right? That we're like Ying and Yang."

"They do?" Diana asks baffled. "I never heard about it."

"I mean it kinda makes sense. Since you're a really smart, proper, beautiful, high-class witch from an old witch family. Meanwhile, I'm a first-generation witch, middle-class Japanese woman way out of her depth."

"Akko…" the heiress approaches her. "You are magnificent and worthy of being with me. In fact, sometimes I think that I am the one not worthy of being with you."

"Oh stop it." Akko blushes brightly. "Anyway, what I was trying to say was that you and I are completely different, yet those differences are what made us be attracted to each other." she smirks. "Like you are too responsible sometimes and how that would normally stop you from taking a break from work."

"I am not too responsible." Diana huffs. "You're just too relaxed and laid back."

"Exactly!" the brunette says confidently. "Which is why we balance each other. Between you and me, we are responsible enough to do our work while taking breaks to enjoy each other's company."

"I see…" the blonde can understand what her girlfriend is trying to say. "Still, I know what you're trying to do with this conversation!" she says suddenly. "You're trying to make me forget about that last episode!"

Akko laughs loudly and manages to avoid a hand coming her way.

"It's not funny!" Diana pouts. "I was really invested in their relationship and I wanted to see it come to fruition."

"You know…" Akko chuckles while getting close to Diana and grabbing her hands. "Watching you get all upset about a tv show is really cute."

"I am not trying to be cute, Atsuko." she groans. "I am trying to make sense of this unsatisfying ending."

"See, totally adorable." the brunette murmurs and starts kissing Diana's neck.

Diana moans.

"You won't be able to distract me." she warns the Japanese woman.

"Really?" Akko separates from Diana's neck and gets really close to her face. "Not even if I do this?" she asks and kisses her girlfriend on the lips, making the blonde woman groan.

"Maybe…" Diana murmurs embarrassed. "Maybe if you kiss me more…" she doesn't finish her sentence before Akko reclaims her lips and pushes her down on the bed, all thoughts regarding the series completely forgotten.

At least until later.

LWALWALWA

"So you asked for this meeting…" Ursula says confused while watching the blonde woman in front of her take a sip from her cup. "Because you are upset about Jane not ending with Maura?"

When Ursula had gotten a message from Diana asking her to meet, she had expected the young heiress to have some question regarding Akko since that was the topic the two of them mostly discussed when they were together.

Nevertheless, the moment the blonde woman poured herself some tea, she had started explaining to Ursula about this television show she had started watching with Akko and how the two main characters, who were a detective and a medical examiner, had not ended together. While Ursula wasn't one to watch much television, she knew that Akko had gotten Croix interested in this show as well. And, just like Diana, her girlfriend had been very upset with the final episode.

Hence, she had some idea of what Diana was talking about.

"Of course I'm upset!" Diana huffs. "I mean, they were perfect for each other Professor! Not only that, but the many times they _obviously_ flirted with each other, all those knowing smiles and 'I'll always be with you' moments! They acted like a couple since the first episode of the series!"

Simply nodding in encouragement for the blonde woman to continue, Ursula doesn't really know what to say about Diana's situation.

Then again, it didn't seem like Diana was that interested in hearing her opinion about it.

"And the fact that Jane always went to Maura when she was upset, how she would only open up to her and share her deepest fears. They slept in the same bed many times!" Diana says exasperated. "In this one episode, when Jane had to pretend to be a lesbian, they even joked about being each other's types!"

"That did seem intentional." Ursula murmurs because she did watch that episode with Croix.

"Because it was intentional! They wanted to get more viewers by suggesting this relationship without actually making it canon."

"Canon?"

"It's when a couple gets together on a show and is not the product of fanfiction." Diana explains rapidly.

"Fanfiction?" Ursula is confused.

"Oh, when people that are not the official writers create stories for a show and publish it online for other fans to read."

"People do that?"

"If you only knew how many." the blonde heiress says. "In fact, Akko and I once found that Shiny Chariot has fanfiction!"

"She does?" Ursula asks curiously. "Is it interesting?"

The moment the older woman asks her this Diana blushes brightly, remembering why Akko and her had decided to not let the older woman know about the extremely graphic and sometimes weird stories that some people had made about their professor/mother figure/former idol.

"Mmmm, not really." she says quickly before changing the topic. "Anyway, surely you can understand my frustration with this show."

"I can understand it." the red-haired woman promises her. "Although it surprises me to see you feel so passionate about it. May I ask why?"

This makes Diana relax and think about her answer for a while.

"I think it is because it surprises me that there are still some places where people can't love who they want. And that even in societies where it is said that 'everyone is equal', we see in movies or tv shows that there is a clear lack of representation for people like Akko and I."

"I see…" Ursula gives her a warm smile.

"I know it sounds pretty irrational…" Diana murmurs. "But I just can't help myself from feeling this. Maybe because I feel that I can relate to the characters and it is upsetting to see how the show's producers and writers teased me with clear signs yet were too afraid to actually do something about it."

"I can certainly understand your frustration." the professor tells her warmly. "Croix was just as upset as you were when she saw the final episode." she chuckles. "But after she groaned, complained and cursed about it, Croix said something that I will say to you: 'Then that means that I'll have to make my own show if I want them to end up together'."

"Make my own show?"

"Not you precisely." Ursula clarifies. "But that there were people out there, just like you, who also felt frustrated about that ending that want to change things. Make things better for future shows and that are working their best to do so." she smiles. "That are learning from the mistakes made by these shows and are incorporating more diverse and inclusive characters in future series."

Thinking about her professor's answer, Diana realizes that the older woman is right and that she couldn't possibly be the only person that was upset with this ending. In fact, realizing that she wasn't alone in feeling disappointed had immediately soothed her anger.

"You're right." the blonde smiles brightly. "I think I was upset because I thought that I was the only person taking this seriously. But hearing you say all of this, it has soothed and calmed me down."

"I am glad to hear that." Ursula says warmly.

"Though I am sorry that I made you meet me for this." Diana adds embarrassed.

"Don't be!" the red-haired woman tells her immediately. "I love talking to you and your selection of tea is always marvelous." she smiles. "I enjoy our tea dates a lot."

This makes Diana blush.

"I also enjoy them." she says before noticing the time and opening her eyes in shock. "I am going to be late!" she gets up from the table and quickly grabs her wand. "I am sorry I can't stay to help you clean this."

"Don't worry." Ursula appeases her. "Now hurry or you'll be late for class."

"Will do, and thanks again Professor Ursula." she says before opening the door and crashing with Croix. "Sorry Professor Croix."

"Diana!" the purple-haired woman smiles. "How are you?"

"I'm late for class!" she screams while getting down the stairs. "And I'm never late. Sorry, but goodbye!" she finishes saying and Croix chuckles.

"That girl…" she says and kisses Ursula softly on the lips. "Did she tell you what was troubling her?"

"She did." Ursula tells her with a warm smile. "It was quite adorable, to be honest."

"Really?" Croix says intrigued.

"She was upset that Jane and Maura hadn't gotten together."

"SHE WAS AS WELL?!" the inventor screams dramatically. "I knew I wasn't alone in my despair!"

Ursula chuckles.

"Anyway… She was upset about it but after we talked things through, I think she reached a conclusion that left her satisfied about the experience."

"She did?" Croix asks knowingly. "Or did you use your mind tricks to make her think so?"

"My mind tricks?" Ursula asks confused.

"Yeah, that way you have of making someone forget they're upset about something by suggesting to them rational and realistic solutions to their frustrations."

"Isn't that what should be normally done?" the red-haired says amused.

"Not in this case! Not when it comes to Rizzoli and Isles! You need to be more creative. In fact, you need to be more like me." Croix says proudly.

"More like you in what way?" Ursula asks suspiciously.

"In the way that I know how to fix Diana's problem."

"But I already helped her reach a solution."

"A solution is not enough! Something needs to be done." Croix says with a gleam in her eyes.

Ursula had seen that gleam enough times to know that it usually meant trouble.

"Croix, whatever it is you think you want to do, I suggest you think before you act." Ursula warns her.

"I have thought about it!" the inventor says obviously. "Which is why I still want to do it."

"And what will you do, Croix?" the red-haired woman knows better than to try to stop her girlfriend.

She had already realized, after having failed many times to stop Croix from performing her experiments, that it was better for her to do damage control after her girlfriend had used one of her inventions.

"I will go see Diana!" she smirks and kisses Ursula passionately on the lips. "And the rest will be for you to find out later!" she chuckles and leaves behind a dazed red-haired woman.

LWALWALWA

" _Do you want to fix Rizzoli and Isles?_ " read the text on Diana's phone, courtesy of one Croix Meridies.

 _"If you do, meet me at the gardens in fifteen minutes."_

Taking a look around her, Diana notices that Barbara and Hannah have gone out of their room to get some snacks in preparation for their study night. Lucky for her, that meant that it would be easy to leave the room without anyone noticing that she was gone. Hence, she took her wand and put a warm jacket on before using the secret passages to make her way faster to the garden.

A small part of her was telling her that a clandestine meeting with Croix would surely mean trouble. She was used already to Akko falling victim to the older woman's antics and had spent most of the time cleaning up the damages done by the brunette and lilac-haired women. Yet, she also knew that Croix was a pretty good witch and even better inventor; which meant that she could have honestly found a way to fix the show. And, although she had been happy with Ursula's answer, she wanted a faster fix to her current problem.

"Diana!" the blonde stops moving when she notices Croix sitting on a bench. "Nice of you to join me."

"Well, from your message it seemed like you had some kind of solution to our shared problem."

"Indeed I do." Croix smiles. "One that will be so great that we will no longer be upset about that final episode."

"Tell me then!" Diana says anxiously. "What artifact did you invent?"

"Well…" the lilac-haired woman murmurs. "I didn't exactly invent it."

"What do you mean you didn't invent it?" the blonde asks confused.

"It is more that I borrowed it from a common acquaintance." Croix continues explaining.

"A common acquaintance?" Diana asks and before she can say anything else, she feels someone blowing some powder on her face.

Incapable of keeping her eyes open for longer, Diana falls into a deep sleep and manages to not fall on the ground thanks to Professor Croix who holds her tight.

"Char will kill me." the lilac-haired woman says worriedly. "Akko will murder me."

"Don't be so dramatic." Sucy says from behind her. "They will never find out about this."

"Oh, they will." Croix tells her surely. "Which is why this better work."

"The forgetting dust will work." the pink-haired witch promises her. "But will your device work?"

"Of course it will." the older woman huffs while taking out an antenna and putting it on top of Diana's head. "Every single thing that Diana is dreaming, we'll be able to see it as if it were a movie."

"Mmm, nice." Sucy sits next to Croix and takes out some popcorn. "Popcorn?"

Croix gives her a solemn look before nodding and taking some.

"Sure, why not?" she bites some. "Now quiet, the movie is about to start."

LWALWALWA

Taking a deep breath, Diana prepared herself. Although she had gotten used to do this, she still wanted to take a minute to fully grasp the responsibility and importance of what she was about to do. While many medical examiners tended to distance themselves from their victims, Diana took a different approach. She always took care in learning their names, their ages and the little things regarding their lives. In a way, she humanized them, hence giving her findings and discoveries more purpose in the grand scheme of solving their murder.

Confidently making an incision, Diana meticulously performed the basic cuts before turning the mic on and starting her analysis of the victim.

"Victim is a woman that seems to be in her early thirties. From a preliminary analysis, it can be said that she's had some plastic surgery and that some of her bones have been broken. No physical signs of abuse nor sex, will check for internal damages to determine a cause of death." stopping her recording, Diana gives the waiting detective an encouraging smile to join her.

"Thanks doc." the brunette woman gives her a soft smile before taking a look at the corpse. "Is there a cause of death?"

"Not yet." Diana informs her. "There were no physical signs of trauma, which makes me suspect that the damage could be internal."

"Makes sense since the scene was clean and it almost didn't seem like something bad had happened in the room."

"Hopefully my report will give you the information you need."

"Your reports always help my cases, Diana."

This makes Diana blush.

"I know what you're trying to do, Akko." she admonishes her friend. "Trying to compliment me so I perform the autopsy faster."

"I wasn't lying when I said you always have my back." Akko huffs. "Though I was hoping that me saying it would inspire you."

Diana chuckles.

"Well…" the medical examiner takes out a lung and inspects it. "Based on the way this lung looks, I can tell you that she died because of something she inhaled."

"Like poison?" the detective asks curiously.

"I am not sure." the blonde informs her while taking a sample and sending it for further analysis. "But I can also tell you that whatever killed her did so almost instantly. Maximum five minutes."

"Shit, that's very fast." Akko murmurs worriedly. "Should I warn Finnelan?"

"Probably." Diana says. "For all we know, the killer could have access to other victims and more…"

"Purple dust?" the detective teases her because she knows there's no other way to describe it.

"Unknown chemical." the medical examiner huffs. "Anyway, the moment the lab brings back the results I'll call you and let you know what we find."

"Yeah, yeah." Akko chuckles but doesn't leave, which makes the blonde woman stare at her friend.

"Is there something else you would like to ask me?" Diana is curious.

Akko takes a deep breath and Diana can notice that she's grabbing her hands tight, a clear sign that the Japanese woman was nervous.

"Hey…" she says softly while focusing on her friend. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" she tries to soothe her friend. "I care about you, Akko."

This makes Akko chuckle.

"We have known each other for a while, right?" the brunette asks suddenly and Diana is surprised by the question.

"For three years." she responds quickly because she knows Akko was trying to get somewhere with her line of questioning.

"And you do trust me, right?"

"With my life." the medical examiner promises her.

"Shit, this is hard." she can hear Akko murmur. "I don't know how to do this."

"Do what?" Diana is getting worried about Akko. "Did something happen?" she asks while getting closer to her friend. "Are you feeling ok?"

Akko blushes.

"Would you like to have dinner with me?" the brunette woman asks and this makes Diana look at her.

"We always have dinner together after work." she answers confused. "I was assuming that today would be no different."

"No, that's not what I meant." Akko groans before looking deeply at Diana. "I meant another kind of dinner." she blushes even more than before. "The one where we both get dressed all fancy and go eat at a nice restaurant."

Diana simply looks at the brunette and slowly realizes what she means.

"You mean like a date?" she has to confirm because she didn't want to assume that her best friend, the woman she had been experiencing this insane crush for the last year, reciprocated her feelings.

"Yeah." Akko whispers afraid but knows Diana heard her clearly. "Unless that's not something you want. If that's the case then we can forget about it. I mean, it will be awkward at first but…"

"Akko…" she stops the brunette by holding her hands tight. "Pick me up at 7?"

LWALWALWA

"She just went straight for it." Sucy murmurs while getting more popcorn. "I mean, it doesn't surprise me because that definitely sounds like something Diana would do in real life."

"Well, she did say she was frustrated with the way Jane and Maura seemed to flirt with each other all the time. Guess she wanted to make a direct and obvious approach to it." Croix munches on some popcorn as well. "That dust of yours is truly something."

"And your antenna is also quite intriguing. I honestly feel like I am watching a movie."

"I know!" the lilac-haired woman says proudly. "Makes what will happen next totally worth it."

LWALWALWA

 _Atsuko Kagari asked me on a date_ … Diana thinks while putting her dress on and looking at herself in the mirror.

It had been three years since she met Akko, and if Diana could summarize all that time together, she would say that it had been the best years of her life. Diana's childhood had not been easy or nice. After her parents died, her aunt had been the one that took care of her, which led to a state of benign neglect. Without someone watching over her, Diana had excelled in her studies in exchange of becoming socially awkward. It was hard for her to connect with people, to find common interests and to not sound altruistic or cold.

But then again, that type of personality went completely well with her field of work.

Choosing to become a medical examiner hadn't helped her with her social skills, most people becoming distant the moment they realized she worked with cadavers for a living. Diana knew that it was because of the current taboo society had on death and the afterlife. Yet, even if she told herself this, the blonde woman still felt hurt when she would hear detectives or fellow workers discuss her distant and cold approach to autopsies.

Until she met Akko.

Akko had been like a ray of sunshine, casting her light over her entire being and blinding her with it. Her energetic, childish and innocent personality wouldn't have gone along with Diana's cold, altruistic and serious way of being. Yet after talking and getting to work together on some cases, the medical examiner quickly realized that Akko was way more than what she let others see. She was complex, she was damaged, she was hurt and she was determined to make the world a better place.

In retrospect, how could Diana not fall for a woman like Atsuko Kagari?

Noticing the time, Diana realizes that it is almost time for Akko to pick her up. Though she was excited about the prospect of the two of them dating, she was also terrified about what this could do to their friendship.

What if the date didn't go well and it made things awkward for them afterwards?

Diana had grown too accustomed to Akko's presence and she didn't know if she would be capable of going back to a life without Akko in it. But then there was the other possibility…

What if their date went splendidly and they realized that them being together could work?

That question was another thing that terrified Diana.

Hearing the doorbell ring, the blonde medical examiner takes one more look at herself in the mirror, and after feeling satisfied, she went towards the door and opened the door, excited about the prospect of seeing Akko.

And Akko, bless the brunette's mother, looked marvelous.

The Japanese woman had left her usual suit at home, instead choosing a blue dress that accentuated her well defined body. While Diana was curvier and fuller than Akko, the brunette's line of work and constant exercise had made her figure become delectable.

Doing her best to not blush, and knowing that she had failed when she noticed Akko smirking at her, she also smiled when she could notice a faint blush behind teasing eyes.

Akko was just as affected as she was.

"You look…" Akko starts saying confidently but then stutters. "You look beautiful, Diana."

 _Adorable_ , was all Diana could think of the blushing detective in front of her.

"And you look splendid as well." the medical examiner compliments her date. "Now my dear detective." she doesn't know from where this sudden confidence is coming from but embraces it. "Where will we be going?"

This makes Akko give her a soft smile.

"Well…" she chuckles while taking Diana's hand and squeezing it tight. "How about you follow me and find out?"

Diana smiles as well.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

LWALWALWALWA

"This is…" Croix starts saying while watching Akko taking Diana to her car. "This is adorable!" she screams excitedly to her partner in crime.

"It is cute." Sucy agrees with the older woman. "I mean, who knew that Diana saw Akko in _that_ way." she chuckles.

"Oh yes!" the lilac-haired woman adds excitedly. "I mean, I knew that Akko had to be in shape because of all the running she does…" she continues explaining. "But damn, she is fit!"

"The fact that you're saying that about your adopted daughter is a little disturbing." the younger witch murmurs.

"Oh, right now she's not my Akko!" Croix simply explains. "She's Detective Kagari, and, as a viewer I can say that she is hot without any kind of guilty feelings." she smirks.

"Sure…" Sucy snickers. "Keep telling yourself that and hope Professor Ursula doesn't hear you saying that about her favorite daughter."

This makes Croix stare menacingly at her.

"There shouldn't be a reason for her to find out, right? Since it is only the two of us that are here, correct?"

Sucy gulps.

"Like crystal."

Croix relaxes and gives her a pat on the head.

"Good." she takes back the popcorn. "Now, where were we?"

LWALWALWA

"You know…" Akko tells her while grabbing her hand. "I was a little scared of tonight."

"You were?" Diana asks curiously because dinner had gone splendidly.

Although she had expected things to be a little awkward, they quickly returned to their usual banter and the fact that the presence of each other tended to soothe their nerves, it didn't take much for Akko and Diana to relax and have a good time.

In fact, after dinner, both of them decided to walk the short distance back home instead of getting inside Akko's car. After all, walking was a good way for their food to digest.

And, to hold hands while staring at the night sky.

"I mean, how could I not be?" the brunette chuckles. "You mean so much to me, Diana. And, I didn't want to mess things up between us."

"You didn't mess anything up." Diana promises her while squeezing her hand assuredly. "I had a marvelous time and as you already know Akko, I enjoy your company very much."

"I know you enjoy my company." Akko blushes. "But this is different. This…" she points at the two of them and their hands. "This is not me having dinner with a friend."

"I am aware of that." the medical examiner blushes as well. "And what I just said still stands." she stutters a little. "I just don't know how to express what I feel."

Akko laughs and stays silent, deciding to continue the rest of the way back in a contemplative yet pleasant silence.

Diana, meanwhile, had decided to take this short reprieve to think of what she wanted to say to Akko. This date had further confirmed the feelings she had for the brunette woman. In fact, it had made it clear for her that she wanted to explore this new aspect of their relationship. Diana wanted to be in Akko's live as more than a friend.

Diana wanted more.

The moment the two women arrived in front of Diana's home, the blonde gave her friend a bright smile, wanting to convey to her that their evening date had been wonderful. Years of knowing Akko made Diana realize that although her friend tended to act very confident, the reality was that she needed to be reassured about her actions. Specially the ones that had to do with emotional and deep topics.

Like a date.

"Akko… Thank you for tonight." Diana whispers with a bright blush on her face. "I had a lot of fun."

"I had fun as well." Akko says awkwardly and the two women simply stare at each other, not knowing what to say next.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." the blonde gives her one last smile before turning around to take her keys out.

LWALWALWA

"WHAT ARE THEY DOING?!" Croix screams. "Why is she not kissing her? Why is she not confessing the feelings she has? Why is Diana leaving?!"

Sucy merely continues eating popcorn, knowing that the lilac-haired woman's questions were mostly rhetorical.

"I will kill those two." the inventor continues her monologue. "I will kill Akko and Diana for being such…"

"Why would you kill me?" they hear a familiar voice and both women notice Akko coming their way.

"Akko!" Croix tries to act normal. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Diana." the brunette simply says while staring at the older woman. "I went to check her dorm but Hannah and Barbara told me that she still hasn't come back."

"Well, we haven't seen her." the inventor says with an awkward laugh. "But I will let her know you're looking for her if we do."

"I would appreciate that." Akko smiles and then notices that Sucy is there. "Sucy, what are you doing here? I thought you said you had detention with Finnelan."

"I got out early?" Sucy says/asks and this makes Akko stare at the two witches knowingly.

"You two are up to something." the brunette suspects. "And the reason I came here is because I could feel Diana."

"Feel Diana?" Croix is panicking.

"Soulmates, remember?" Akko says seriously to her while getting closer to the bench. "Now, is there something you would like to tell me?"

The pink-haired witch and inventor simply stare at each other.

"In fact, why are you not standing up?" she continues asking and uses her wand to notice a shield surrounding the bench. "Oh, I see…" she smirks. "Now, let me in or I will break this shield."

"You can't." Croix challenges her.

"Are you sure I can't?" Akko stares at her. "Remember who my tutors are."

"She will definitely break it and the moment she does we'll be in more trouble." Sucy says to Croix. "Besides, maybe she'll be interested?"

This makes Croix huff and allow her entrance, which in turn means that now Akko can see that Diana is laying between Sucy and Croix with a weird antenna on her face and completely asleep.

"Diana!" she says worried while getting close and noticing that apart from being in such a weird situation, it seemed that her girlfriend was fine. "What did you two do to her?" she asks the inventor darkly.

"Well…" Croix starts to justify herself. "You see, Diana was upset about Rizzoli and Isles' last episode and I wanted to help her."

"And is this your idea of helping her?!" Akko screams and is ready to take the antenna off.

"No, wait!" Sucy is the one that stops her and this makes Akko stare curiously at her friend. "Listen, I know it looks bad." she explains. "But…" she uses a spell and now Akko can see the screen in front of them. "Maybe you'll like to watch."

"What is this?" the brunette witch asks.

"Diana's subconscious." Croix explains excitedly. "This antenna allows us to see what she's dreaming."

"And she's dreaming of us being in a date?" Akko is confused. "Why would this help her?" she then stares at Sucy knowingly. "Did you give her the forgetting dust?!"

"She told me to do it." Sucy says while pointing at Croix who gulps.

"I will kill you Croix-Sensei." Akko warns her but stops talking when she hears what the two women in the dream are discussing. "What?"

"Shh!" Croix makes some space for her. "Listen, you can kill me all you want, but after we finish watching this!" she smirks when Akko automatically sits, her eyes focused on the picture.

"Popcorn?" Sucy asks Akko who groans but still takes some.

"I will kill you both later."

LWALWALWA

"No, wait!" the brunette says suddenly and grabs Diana's hand, squeezing them tight. "I, I want to say something. Just give me a couple of seconds to order my ideas."

This makes Diana laugh because Akko didn't have to try much to be adorable.

"I know, I'm so bad at this." Akko groans but also laughs. "Even though I'm a detective and all, it seems that when I'm in front of you I just don't know what to say."

"We're such a mess." Diana continues laughing but knows she got Akko's attention. "Because I am experiencing the same thing; I want to say something but I don't know the right way to say it."

After saying this, Diana can see that Akko relaxes, her smile and blush still on her face.

"Then I'll go first" Akko whispers seriously and this immediately makes the blonde stop laughing. "What I've started feeling for you…" she closes her eyes. "It's not just friendship or a simple crush."

"Akko…" the blonde whispers.

"I really like you Diana." the detective confesses rapidly. "No, like you is not enough and it makes me sound like a child." she reprimands herself. "I, I love you Diana. Knowing you, being with you, it has been so wonderful that thinking about my life without you in it is impossible." she stops to stare at the blonde, who hasn't said a word. "I know that we don't come from the same background, and that most people would consider that you're way out of my league." she chuckles. "I mean, I think so too. But, I promise you…"

"Akko." Diana stops the brunette woman from continuing her rambling. "You are more than enough." she promises her with a bright smile. "In fact, you're the only one for me." she closes her eyes. "Because I love you too."

"You do?" Akko whispers, not believing what she's hearing.

"I do." the medical examiner gets closer to her and the distance between their faces closes. "Very much."

This makes Akko smile and then gulp, her eyes immediately falling to the blonde's lips.

"Then…" Akko stutters. "Would it be ok then for me to kiss you?"

Diana gives her a bright smile before closing her eyes and the distance between them, kissing Akko with everything she has.

When they separate, Diana can see that the detective is staring at her with a dazed and dreamy look, which makes the blonde blush in return.

"That was incredible." Akko says honestly and Diana blushes even more than before. "Can I do it again?" she asks this time more confidently and doesn't wait for Diana to answer before she crashes their lips again, using her hands to squeeze the blonde's shoulders tight.

"You…" Diana murmurs while feeling Akko kissing her neck. "You can do anything that you want."

This makes Akko stop kissing Diana and simply stare at her, wanting to make sure that the woman she loves was truly ready and comfortable with what they were doing.

"Are you sure?" the detective asks gallantly because Diana meant too much to her and she didn't want to mess things up.

Diana, instead of answering, opens the door to her house and goes inside, grabbing Akko's hand to pull her in. After making sure that the door was locked, Diana closed the distance between the two of them and kissed Akko one more time while using her hands to massage the detective's stomach suggestively.

"Akko…" she whispers in the woman's ear. "I'm more than sure." she continues saying and moves her knee so that it stays between Akko's legs. "In fact, why don't you take me to my room." she purrs and shrieks when she feels Akko carrying her.

"My pleasure." the brunette growls and kisses her yet again, confidently making her way to Diana's room.

LWALWALWALWA

"Wow." Sucy says while not moving her eyes away from the scene happening in front of her. "I didn't know that you could be so dominant, Akko." she stares at the blushing brunette sitting next to Croix.

"I…" Akko says mortified but can't move her eyes away from the image. "This is…"

"This is hot!" Croix screams delighted. "You go Diana, go get Detective Kagari!"

"That's me!" the brunette says embarrassed. "Have you no shame?!"

"No, those are Detective Kagari and Medical Examiner Cavendish." the inventor smirks. "About to give us the happy ending Rizzoli and Isles should have given us."

"You…" Akko starts threatening but stops when dream Diana moans a very passionate 'Akko'.

 _Shit_ … Akko thinks and all the thoughts about killing Croix are put aside for later. _Diana looks and sounds so hot…_

Nevertheless, before the three witches can see what will happen next, they feel a strong force breaking through the shield, making them notice a serious Ursula staring at all of them.

"Now…" the red-haired woman says knowingly. "What I want to know is what you four are doing here in the middle of the night."

"Well, we…" Akko starts to say. "I was looking for Diana and…" she closes her eyes.

"And?"

"She found her here with us and decided to stay for a while." Sucy adds and though it looked like she wasn't scared, the fact was that she was terrified. "We didn't notice that it was so late."

Ursula then turns to stare at Diana and notices the antenna on her forehead.

"Is that?" Ursula starts to ask Croix with a menacing smile on her face. "An invention of yours on Diana's head?"

"Char!" Croix panics and this makes her move the antenna on Diana's head off, which in turn finally makes Diana open her eyes.

"You took it off!" Akko says worriedly while standing to go check on her girlfriend, who had woken up because of the screams.

"What?" the blonde asks confused while noticing Akko. "Akko?"

"Diana, hey." the brunette gives her a dashing smile.

Diana smiles in return and moves to caress Akko's face suggestively.

"There you are…" she murmurs and bites Akko's ear which makes the brunette groan.

"Diana…" Akko tries to warn her. "We are, what you just saw…"

"Akko." she just says and kisses her girlfriend on the lips, making the brunette's argument fall to the floor and to instead return the kiss being given to her.

"Well…" the blonde hears Ursula and this finally makes her realize that something was wrong.

She wasn't in her house, nor was she in her bed. In fact, now that she thought about it, Akko was kneeling in front of her with her Luna Nova uniform on.

She wasn't naked.

Separating from Akko, she notices Sucy and Croix sitting in the bench with her and that's when she can start to realize what had happened to her.

"You two…" she simply says. "You gave me forgetting dust."

The two guilty witches confirm.

"And you…" she says to Akko who is blushing. "Why didn't you stop them?"

"I…" the brunette confesses. "I was going to, but when I got here they were watching the end of the date and well I…" she closes her eyes. "I wanted to watch." she whispers to Diana and this makes the blonde blush.

"You mean you saw…" Diana is embarrassed but at the same time really turned on.

"I saw it all." Akko blushes even more than before. "I'm sorry, I know I…" she doesn't get to fully apologize because Diana is kissing her again passionately.

"Don't apologize, Akko." she smiles and turns around to quickly look at Ursula. "Will you take care of those two?" she asks the older woman while pointing at Sucy and Croix.

"Will do." Ursula confirms while preventing Croix from running away.

"Then…" she says suggestively to Akko. "How about you make it up to me by taking care of me now?"

After stuttering and realizing what her girlfriend meant with this, Akko only nods and is hugged by Diana, who uses a spell taught to her by Ursula to make the two of them disappear.

"Shit…" Croix manages to say after watching the two witches disappear. "You taught her a really cool trick."

"Well, she asked and I said yes." Urusla smiles dangerously and Croix knows what that smile means.

Danger.

"Now you two…" the former performer continues saying. "You have been quite naughty tonight…" she reminisces. "And, I guess that means there must be some sort of punishment for you two."

"Punishment?" Croix whines. "But we just helped Diana get over her Rizzoli and Isles problem."

"And we also helped Akko get lucky." Sucy adds. "That most certainly count for something."

This answer, instead of soothing Ursula, makes her smile double and that was a terrible sign.

"Perhaps Akko and Diana will be thankful to you. Tomorrow." she smirks. "But today, you two are in trouble." she chuckles and that evil laugh terrified the two witches.

In fact, when asked about the whole ordeal on a later date, the only person that was completely happy with the turn of events was Akko, who happened to watch and then participate in a naughty detective/medical examiner role-play.


	22. Act 22 Going Home

After getting a call from her friends back home, Akko decides to invite Diana, Ursula and Croix to come to Japan with her.

Notes:

So this is a new arc that I will be writing! It takes place after the First Time arc (which I promise I'll finish the moment the Ecchi muse comes back). I hope you like it and that you enjoy the surprise that will be in this chapter!

* * *

Akko had never regretted leaving her home and coming to Luna Nova. In fact, ever since she first saw Shiny Chariot perform, she realized that her dream was to become a witch. And in Japan, to achieve that dream would have been impossible. Nevertheless, having such a dream meant that Akko had been teased and laughed at during her childhood. Magic, as it tended to be outside Luna Nova, was seen as a dying career and in Japan many just thought it was staged. Hence, when Akko said that she wanted to be a witch like Shiny Chariot, she was mocked by her classmates. And at first, that had not affected her much because her parents were supportive and told her to fight for her dreams. But when they both died just after her first year of middle school, it all became more difficult. Nevertheless, she had a small group of dear friends who always stood by her. Ones that now that she thought about it, were perhaps just as crazy as she was (crazy in a good way).

Were it not for them, Akko's days at school would have been much darker and terrible.

Hence, she was a little surprised when she got a call from them asking her about her plans for New Year's Eve. Although she had told her friends that she was leaving Japan, she didn't tell them exactly why. Witches, and the magic from Luna Nova, had been ordered to be kept a secret. Which is why her friends believed she was in England studying English. Akko had expected things to change after the missile crisis. But, according to both Ursula and Croix-Sensei, Diana and her identity had been kept a secret thanks to the Nine Witches' magic.

 _A protection of sorts against people who may wish to use their powers for the wrong reasons,_ Ursula had explained the moment Diana asked the older women what would happen to them now that the whole world knew who they were.

Hence, Akko wasn't sure of what to do with their invitation. Although Luna Nova celebrated New Year's Eve, there was just something about the way her country did it that couldn't be replaced. And the Japanese witch was starting to realize how much she was missing her home. That call with her friends had made her further realize this. In fact, considering the dates, this would be the perfect time for her to go back to her hometown. Luna Nova usually gave students two weeks off right after Christmas and expected them to come back before the end of the first week of classes. Diana had told her that magical families tended to travel around the world during the last weeks of the new year as part of a magic tradition.

One that her girlfriend had been patient enough to explain but that she had unfortunately already forgotten.

Akko knew that this opportunity to go back to Japan was no coincidence. She had been recently talking to Diana about their country's traditions and the holiday season had been one of the topics discussed. Ironically, the call from her friends had come a couple of days after said talk. And while Akko had not thought much about going home during this winter break (mostly because the people she most cared about were at Luna Nova), she couldn't deny that she was excited about the possibility of showing her country to Diana. Specially since Akko started to notice that the blonde witch was acquiring an interest in Japanese customs (which included getting food or drinks that came from Akko's hometown during their picnics or tea dates).

How she even got Japanese sweets all the way to Luna Nova? That was a question Akko always asked and Diana never answered.

And regarding Ursula and Croix-Sensei joining them for the trip… Well, the brunette had become so accustomed to spending time with the two older women that taking this trip without them just wouldn't do. Not when she saw both Ursula and Croix-Sensei as family. And Akko knew that this trip would be good for her. After everything that happened with Sarah, with Kristen and with the rest of witches at school; Akko needed to show her family (because she saw them as that) what they meant to her.

And she knew that this trip to her hometown would help her do this.

Akko was known by everyone at Luna Nova as a loud and extroverted person. Ironically speaking, most people in Japan were not like this (except her friends who were loud and unapologetic about it). Hence, Akko behaved and acted differently before coming to Luna Nova. What had started to make Akko's behavior change was watching Ursula-Sensei perform. The brunette, who had been used to calm and silence, had seen in Shiny Chariot a teenage girl who was confident and open about her desires. A witch who fought against monsters and dark magic while using clothes that were scandalous and sexy.

That, to Akko, had been the beginning of her transformation and what had made her leave Japan.

And yet, she was now craving to show Diana, Ursula and Croix-Sensei that hidden part of herself. The insecure and scared girl that had dreamed of doing magic and making people happy. The girl that had wished for a family and hadn't really expected to get one.

The girl that had been too afraid to be herself.

Now things were different. Akko was no longer that girl who had struggled to find a place to belong. Nor the brunette that had always tried too hard to fit in. Now that she thought about it, maybe that was another reason for her to go back home.

To show all the people that knew her before what she had now become.

To show them how lucky she was of having a girlfriend like Diana and women like Ursula and Croix-Sensei by her side.

All of these ideas and thoughts had led Akko to the Astronomy Tower, making sure of calling Diana, Ursula and Croix-Sensei to ask them to meet her there after class.

Knowing them, the three witches were probably freaking out about her call, wondering why they were being asked to meet and what was so urgent and important for Akko to summon them all.

Opening the door to Ursula and Croix's room, she notices right away that the three women were already waiting for her, all of them calmly reading a book.

"Relax, relax…" Akko says with a confident smile. "I have not taken or tested anything Sucy has tried to give me." she appeases them all, who merely look up from their books.

"Oh, we know." Diana tells her while focusing yet again on her reading.

"Wait, so you weren't worried about me?" the brunette is surprised.

They always tended to overreact when it came to things like this.

Maybe they were starting to trust her judgment more.

"I asked Sucy about it a couple of minutes ago and she promised she didn't give you anything." Croix says absently.

 _Oh, that made more sense,_ Akko thought and was ready to explain herself but Ursula speaks first.

"Which I guess makes us wonder why you asked us to meet here?" the former performer asks curiously.

Akko takes a deep breath but is interrupted again.

"I was telling them that maybe you wanted to go grab something to eat." the lilac-haired woman adds cheekily. "You did promise to buy us dinner after you lost that bet the other day."

"And I was telling Professor Croix that perhaps you wanted something simpler like having tea together and catch up. You did mention to me that you missed spending time with the four of us together." Diana says while smiling softly at her.

"I know we have not been spending time together as much as we used to." Ursula tells her softly. "But with New Year's Eve approaching, we have been so busy that all we do after we finish class is sleep."

"But Char and I had also been talking about the fact that we missed you." Croix adds with a warm smile. "Having you around all the time has certainly spoiled us." she chuckles.

"Certainly, the days before New Year's Eve tend to be very busy at Luna Nova." Diana converses with the two older women. "In fact, I just came from a meeting with Principal Holbrook where she asked me if I wanted to preside the student body that would volunteer to help and guide the Ministry during the festivities."

"Oh right…" Ursula says with a smile. "I did remember your name being mentioned during our weekly meetings as a candidate for the position."

"Nice Diana!" Croix compliments her and just hearing them all say this has made Akko realize one thing.

Ursula, Croix and Diana were busy. And she, selfishly, had asked them to meet her here for no reason.

Well, for a reason that would certainly make them be busier.

Akko couldn't ask that of them when they already did so much for her.

"Akko…" she hears being said to her and this makes her focus on her girlfriend. "Did we lose you?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry." she chuckles nervously while moving from side to side. "I…" she tries to say but nothing comes to mind.

This makes Ursula look at her with a soft and encouraging smile on her face.

"Has something happened?" the red-haired woman asks and in turn Diana and Croix put their books down and focus on her.

"No, well, I mean yes, something did happen."

This makes Diana immediately get close to her and inspect her analytically.

"You know you can tell us anything, right darling?" the blonde witch asks her softly.

Akko takes a deep breath.

"Of course I know that!" she laughs and tries to change the subject. "It was just like you all guessed. I had missed spending time together and wanted to catch up."

This makes the three women in the room stare at her knowingly.

"Now while that may be true…" Croix tells her with a warm smile. "It's not the whole truth."

"You must realize Akko that we know you just as well as you know us." Ursula adds surely.

"And that we can tell when you're not sharing with us what you truly feel." Diana grabs her hands tenderly.

"I just…" she closes her eyes. "Hearing you discuss how busy you are has made me realize that what I was going to ask you is foolish."

"Akko." the blonde scolds her softly. "Nothing you say will ever seem foolish to me. Nothing that I can clearly see affects you like this."

"Besides, you must know that you three will always come first to me." Croix murmurs embarrassed. "So what you have to say, Akko, matters to me much more than my classes or schedule."

"Croix-Sensei…" Akko says touched.

"What did you want to ask us?" Ursula encourages her sweetly and for some reason this is all Akko needs.

"Would you like to come to Japan with me?"

"Go to Japan?" Diana asks pleasantly surprised.

"Yes…" Akko continues embarrassed. "And I know that you are incredibly busy…" she adds softly. "But I was thinking that this holiday is the perfect opportunity for me to share with you my past. Where I come from and the traditions and customs of my country."

"Akko…" Ursula says touched.

"And I know that you have been there already." she adds while staring at her mentor. "But I was still hoping you would come. So I could show you my home." she whispers embarrassed and feels the older woman immediately hug her tight.

"You know it would be an honor, Akko."

"I've always wanted to go back to Japan." Croix adds as well and this makes the brunette run towards her and hug her tight.

"And you must know that I'll go wherever you go." Diana says with a warm smile.

"But that position Holbrook offered you…" Akko whispers dejectedly. "Having that job listed in your curriculum would mean a lot."

"I remember telling you once Akko that you were the most important thing in my life. That you would always come before my name, before my goals, before my dreams, before anyone." she promises her girlfriend confidently.

"Diana…" the brunette witch whispers and runs to where Diana is. "Thank you, thank you!" she says and kisses her longingly on the lips. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I love you Akko." Diana says warmly to her and kisses her again.

This makes the older women in the room chuckle and make some noise to remind them of their presence.

"Ok, ok, so you both love each other." Croix jokes with them. "Now stop kissing and explain to us when we will travel and where we will stay." she says to Akko who is blushing.

"Hai!" she smiles widely and begins explaining to the other women about her preparations and what they needed to do.

LWALWALWA

"You know…" Croix says while putting her sunglasses on. "I had forgotten how annoying it is to fly on something that is not a broom."

"Certainly." Diana agrees and grabs Akko's hand absently. "Remind me again why we decided to fly and not use the Leylines?"

Akko chuckles.

"Because I want us to experience this trip as if we didn't have magic!" the brunette tells them excitedly.

This makes Ursula laugh.

"Well, it has certainly been a long time for me since I've been on a plane as well." the red-haired woman shares with them. "Though I always enjoyed the experience because it's safer to fall asleep on a plane than on a broom."

"And she speaks from experience." Croix says bemusedly while going to the hangar where their bags were being returned.

"Really?!" Akko asks excitedly. "You fell asleep while flying on a broom?"

Diana chuckles while Ursula blushes.

"I was tired! It had been a long time since I had a good night's sleep and the day was just so nice…" she mutters. "Anyway…" she grabs her bag and watches the three other witches do the same. "What's the plan now, Akko?"

"Well, I did talk to my friends before leaving England and they said they would be waiting for us. That way we'll get a free ride to the city and we can then drop our stuff at my place."

"Your place?" Croix asks curiously.

After that talk they had with Akko, they had allowed the brunette witch to take care of everything, the three other witches instead deciding to do everything in their power to get their affairs settled before the winter break started.

Which meant that up until now they hadn't asked Akko too many questions, deciding to trust her judgement when it came to organizing the trip.

"Yes." the brunette woman simply says. "After my parents passed away…" she murmurs. "I was given all of their belongings, including the house." she smiles sadly. "Though I didn't live there for long because I moved with my grandmother who was closer to my school."

"Akko…" Diana whispers and grabs her hand assuredly.

"Anyway…" Akko squeezes her girlfriend's hand and stares ahead. "The place is under my name and I asked my grandmother to make sure that someone went to prepare it."

"Akko, you didn't have to." Ursula says softly.

"I know." the younger witch assures them. "But that house is a part of me and I did say that I wanted to show you all my past, including the parts that may not be so pleasant to remember."

Croix nods in understanding before grabbing Akko's shoulder and squeezing it tight, showing her support and presence with that gesture.

"So your friends will be the ones picking us up." the inventor says while watching the people waiting at the arrival gate. "Are they here?"

"Well, they said they would be…" Akko starts looking around but is not kept waiting for long before hearing some familiar screams heading her way.

"AKKO!" they all turn around to see a brunette and a handsome man with black hair running towards them.

"Are your translators working?" Akko asks them and the three witches nod in confirmation before focusing on her friend and the man with her. "Naru!" she says excitedly while hugging her tight.

"Akko, I can't believe it's really you!" the taller woman says happily. "In fact, I can't believe you're here!" she then notices the people behind Akko looking intently at their conversation. "And with your friends."

"I know, I can't believe it either." she murmurs while turning around to get Diana, Ursula and Croix-Sensei closer. "Naru, I want to introduce you to my friends." she smiles warmly. "This is Diana Cavendish, Croix Meridies and Ursula Callistis. They all live with me at Luna Nova and are very dear to me."

"My name is Naru Osaka and it's very nice to meet you." she says in English and this surprises the brunette. "My English has improved." she jokes and grabs the man's hand to pull him closer. "And this is my boyfriend Gurio Umino."

"UMINO!" now Akko is the one that screams. "He's Umino?!" she asks excitedly and hugs him tight. "I can't believe it's you. And why didn't you say anything earlier?!"

Umino chuckles.

"Guess I wanted to surprise you." he smirks. "Besides, it seems like you didn't recognize me. So mean of you."

Akko huffs embarrassed.

"I… I mean I never saw you without your glasses!" she explains to Diana, Ursula and Croix. "So I didn't realize that you looked like this."

"Oh yeah, Umino didn't look like this when he had his glasses on." Naru further explains while taking her phone out and showing the picture to Akko's friends. "See, this is him." she points at a nerdy kid with weird glasses.

"I can see why she wouldn't recognize him." Croix murmurs amused and gets by her girlfriend. "Ouch."

"Don't be rude." Ursula admonishes her. "Forgive her, her honesty at times can be quite uncouth."

"It's alright." Umino smiles at them. "And if you're Akko's friends then you must be good people. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is ours." Diana answers in Japanese and can see the surprised faces of her girlfriend's friends. "I asked Akko to teach me some Japanese. I have always been fascinated with your culture."

"Nice! If Akko has had the patient and dedication to teach you then that must mean she likes you." Naru smirks at Akko knowingly and this makes the brunette witch blush.

"She has also told us many things about you." the blonde witch finishes politely while smiling at Akko.

"I hope only good things." Naru jokes before helping them with their bags. "Now, how about we start to make our way back to the city? It will take us a while to get to Akko's place."

"Are you driving?" Croix asks curiously. "We read that there was a bus that could be taken straight to the city."

"We won't need to do that." the brunette simply says. "My driver will take us."

"Naru comes from a family that owns jewelry stores around the country." Akko explains to them. "They've been doing quite well if the news I've read in England are true."

"That's right. If I remember correctly, didn't your family just open a store in London?" Diana asks Akko's friend.

Naru nods in confirmation.

"It's their first store in another country." she tells them proudly. "Apparently an investor came to one of our stores, loved the jewelry and offered my parents to invest in expanding their business."

"Fascinating. Perhaps you could take us there so we can see the kind of jewelry your family produces?" Ursula asks politely.

"Of course." she smiles. "You'll have plenty of time to explore the area and my parents' store is near our high school."

"The school Akko went to before she left for England, correct?" Diana asks.

"Yes, Juuban High School." Umino tells them. "Akko, Naru, Usa and I all became friends in middle school and then moved up to high school."

"They're all in the same building so they just move to different areas." Diana explains to Ursula and Croix.

"Yes, and Akko would have been with us as well but she decided that she wanted to learn English in England and hence left us." Naru fake-pouts and they all know she's teasing her friend. "Could have learned it here just fine."

"You all know why I needed a break. Why I needed to go somewhere new." Akko smiles sadly at them.

This makes Naru and Umino nod in understanding while getting some concerned looks from Diana, Ursula and Croix.

They all knew that right now was not the time to talk about something so serious.

"You mentioned you had another friend." Diana changes the topic carefully. "Someone named Usa?"

"Usagi." Akko smiles warmly at them. "She was the first person that approached me when I got to Juuban and we immediately became friends. She just has this incredibly kind and warm personality."

"She was going to come." Naru promises her. "In fact, that's why we were a little late. We went to pick her up but for some reason on our way to her house she called and told us to go ahead. That she had an emergency and would meet us later for lunch."

"She probably forgot she had to do something." Umino chuckles.

"Which wouldn't surprise me at all because it's Usagi we're talking about." Akko adds and moves her hand so she can grab Diana's, a gesture that is not missed nor mentioned by Naru.

The moment the five of them step outside, the two older women of the group take a deep breath and look at their surroundings, trying to remember how it was years ago.

"My driver is here." Naru informs them and they all watch him put their bags in the back before making their way inside the car, all of them comfortably fitting in the back.

"It's been quite a while since I've been to Japan." Ursula says with a warm smile on her face while watching the many buildings and trees. "I had missed it."

"You've been in Japan before?" Umino asks interested.

"Both of us came to Tokyo." Croix smiles at them. "Though it was a long time ago. Could it be 15 years ago?"

"Then things have certainly changed." Naru chuckles. "Though there is this small restaurant that is very popular. Perhaps you tried it when you came? Natzuko Mio?"

"I loved that place!" Croix shrieks and gets the attention of everyone in the car.

"You remember the name of the place?" Diana asks amused. "That is very surprising."

"I remember because their ramen was incredible." Croix blushes and this gets her some laughs from the people in the car.

"Croix's favorite food is ramen." Ursula informs them. "She is addicted to it."

Akko and Diana chuckle.

"I guess this means we're going to Natzuko Mio after we drop our stuff?" Akko proposes to the group because it would be great to make Diana try some ramen.

"Or we can just go now and leave your stuff in my car." Naru smiles. "We're actually quite close."

"We wouldn't want to impose." Diana says embarrassed.

"Nonsense! We have missed Akko a lot and we want to be with her." the Japanese woman says honestly. "That is, of course, if you don't mind?"

"Of course not silly." Akko hugs her friend tight. "I have missed you too."

"You know..." Croix turns off her translator while whispering to Ursula. "It's quite nice to see Akko be so open."

"I know." Ursula agrees. "I mean, she's usually very extravagant and loud when we're in Luna Nova." she looks at the brunette witch. "But here, she's calm and composed, her affection for some reason more measured and noticeable."

"Akko did say that Japanese people are quite conservative and serious about their personal space." Diana includes herself in their conversation. "That for her, because of her hyperactivity, it was hard to stay still or in one specific spot for long amounts of time."

"Makes sense." Croix murmurs. "Our Akko is like an energizer battery." she chuckles but the other two women just stare at her. "Seriously, you need to learn more about the rest of the world that is not Luna Nova or the magic community."

Diana and Ursula blush.

"Are you bullying them, Croix-Sensei?" Akko asks with a smirk on her face and the three witches turn on their translators.

"Not at all." she says worriedly. "I was just saying that it's such a pretty day."

"Yeah sure." she grins but stops talking when she feels a strange energy in the air.

Turning around to look at Diana, Ursula and Croix; Akko notices that they must have felt it too.

"Anyway…" Naru continues saying but feel the car stopping when they hear an explosion over them. "What's happening?!" she screams and takes out her phone.

"I don't know." Umino says worriedly while checking his. "There's no signal so no chance for us to know what's wrong."

"Maybe it's just a tower that fell." Diana tries to reassure them while giving Akko, Ursula and Croix knowing looks.

That explosion had been made with magic.

"Diana's right." Akko adds with a soft smile. "You know how old those towers are. It probably fell and that's why we're stuck in traffic."

"Yeah, it seems people are getting upset about it." Naru opens the window to take a quick look outside. "Though I don't see anything in front of us."

"Well, there must be something." Umino yawns. "Why else would the car stop and…" he falls asleep before finishing his sentence.

"Umino? What's…" Naru also collapses and this makes the three witches in the car relax.

"Really Croix-Sensei, did you have to make them fall asleep?" Akko chuckles.

"Croix didn't do this." Ursula interjects and that's when Akko realizes that all the screams and noises around them had disappeared.

"Someone is using magic to make the people fall asleep." Diana mutters while taking her wand out. "Professor Croix, can you give us the Ley Line Routers we packed?"

"Sure." Croix takes out four of them and hands each witch one. "Now, forgive my ignorance, but I thought there was no magic school or magical entities in Japan."

"There shouldn't be." Ursula tells them worriedly. "And this type of magic." she moves her wand. "It doesn't feel like it comes from the Leylines."

"So it's not magic produced by witches like us." Diana murmurs.

"Or magic from this world." Croix says worriedly. "What should we do?

Akko merely smiles brightly.

"What we do best!" she opens the door of the car. "Save the world!" she laughs and exits.

"Akko!" Diana huffs. "Seriously, I swear she will give me a heart attack." the heiress runs behind Akko.

"And those two will be the death of us." Ursula adds while also leaving the car followed by a determined Croix.

"But we wouldn't want them any other way." Croix says what her girlfriend is also thinking and takes four small cubes out of her bag. "Nevertheless, good thing I come prepared." she uses her wand and they all transform into sorcery units. "Now jump in one and let's go." she pushes the remaining two units to catch up to Akko and Diana.

Meanwhile, Akko had been using enhancing magic on her legs to run faster than what she normally could, thankful to Ursula-Sensei and her lessons. She knew that Diana was very close to her and was also using her own magic to keep up with her.

"You know…" Akko slows down a little bit so she's next to her girlfriend. "This is not the way I was expecting to show you my home." she chuckles.

"I know." Diana smiles brightly. "But this way is totally you." she turns her head around when she hears a familiar buzzing. "Jump Akko!" she does as she says and quickly finds herself in a sorcery unit.

"Seems like Croix-Sensei came prepared." Akko nods to the two incoming older witches and they all start to head towards the epicenter of the magic.

"According to my calculations it seems like the highest concentration of magic comes from there." Croix points to a building a couple of miles ahead. "I don't know what this type of magic is, but it seems like we will be capable of eliminating it by destroying the core. I believe that core is storing energy stolen from the people that fell asleep."

"So the core doesn't produce its own magic but stores stolen magic..." Ursula murmurs. "I don't like this."

"What will be the plan?" Diana asks the inventor.

"If it has a core, it will be in the center of the building, probably heavily protected." she looks at her tablet yet again. "I'm getting readings that suggest there will be some kind of magical beings keeping watch and there seems to be a barrier placed around the building."

"Then the plan will be divide and conquer." Ursula decides. "Croix and Diana will get the beings away from us and eliminate as many as they can." she gets two nods in confirmation. "I will go ahead and hide my presence and try to make my way as far as possible inside the area before Akko joins me to take down the barrier."

 **(Start listening to the song here)**

"Ok." Akko says determined but uses her magic to move out of the way when she feels a ray of magic being fired her way. "Incoming!" she warns her friends.

"What are those?" Diana asks while helping eliminate some of those creatures from Akko's trail. "I've never seen creatures like this in my life."

"If the magic and the creatures don't look familiar then we must assume that they come from somewhere out of this world." Ursula simply tells them. " _Murowa!"_ she screams and hits one of them, it exploding immediately. "But they're still vulnerable to our magic. Now, remember the plan and let's go." she uses her unit to fly high in the sky and hide in the clouds.

"Good." Croix smirks and points at a hoard of them. " _Belga Veeda!"_ the creatures are destroyed. "Now come on, Diana, are you going to let me beat you?"

"Of course not." Diana smiles and concentrates on her magic. _"Diphulaniado!"_ she yells and an explosion bigger than the one Croix made is produced. "I was just preparing myself."

"Show-off." the lilac-haired woman chuckles while using her phone. "Akko, you better go now before more come."

"Ok!" Akko uses her magic to make the sorcery unit move faster and concentrates on her legs. " _Vega Varulus!"_ she stands up from the unit and jumps straight up into Professor Ursula's unit. "Ready Sensei?" she asks her knowingly.

"Ready whenever you are." Ursula smiles and the two witches point their brooms at a large group of creatures. "Now!"

 _"Ein Ein Sof. Ein Sof Ohr. Luna Lana."_ both scream and watch the barrier that had been surrounding the building disappear.

"We did it!" Akko says excitedly and takes out her phone. "Diana, Croix, the barrier is down."

" _We're coming your way_." Diana promises her girlfriend.

" _And so are more of those creatures_." Croix warns them.

"Does that mean that we split up?" the brunette witch asks her mentor.

"It means I will have to get busy." Ursula gets down from the broom and transforms her wand to a sword. "You keep going and destroy the core. Diana, Croix and I will keep them outside the building."

"Will do." Akko promises and knows her professor will be careful. "Now…" she moves faster than before and enters the building, making sure of using the phone Croix had designed for them to trace the alien magic. "Where is this core?"

The moment Akko asks that questions she feels strong vibrations coming from underneath her, a sign that the core was below her. Running as fast as she could and using her arms and legs to get rid of the remaining creatures in the building, Akko finds herself in front of what she assumes is the core.

"Ok, I think I'm here." she lets them all know. "Though I'm not sure how I'm supposed to destroy this."

" _Although it must look very different to normal machines, there must be a part in it that seems more vulnerable than the rest_." Croix tells her calmly. " _Is there something that matches my description?"_

Taking a look, Akko quickly analyzes the machine and notices that there's this section in the center of it that doesn't seem as strong as the rest of it.

"I did!" Akko smiles and takes her wand out, thinking of a spell powerful enough.

" _You'll have to use Diphulaniado if you want to make sure the spell works."_ Ursula tells the brunette witch.

"But there are times when it doesn't work when I cast it."

 _"We trust you Akko!"_ Diana sounds confident. _"Now you need to trust yourself."_

" _And the quicker you do it the better cause we think that core is the one that is producing more of these weird creatures."_ Croix adds.

 _"Croix!"_ two familiar voices say annoyed.

 _"Don't pressure her!"_ Ursula huffs.

"I will hang up if you don't stop talking." Akko warns them and they all remain silent. "Thank you." she takes a deep breath and starts concentrating her magic.

Feeling it moving through the Leylines and entering her, Akko is confident that she is absorbing the right amount of magic and that it is going into the correct direction. Once she felt her wand's power pulsing, Akko opened her eyes and prepared herself.

"Ready!" she yells and starts speaking. " _Diphu_ …" she can't finish saying because she's hit from behind by a creature.

 **"** _AKKO!"_ the brunette hears Diana, Ursula and Croix scream frantically.

" _What happened?! Why did you stop casting the spell?"_ Diana asks worriedly.

"I'm ok." she huffs while standing up. "I got careless and didn't notice a creature behind me."

 _"I'm on my way Akko!"_ Diana promises her. _"Just hang on."_

"Then perhaps I shouldn't tell you that although I didn't cast the spell, my wand though I did and it will take a while for the router to re-charge?" she tries to joke while moving out of the way from the creature's beam. "Shit, that was close." she jumps away yet again but fails to see a piece of debris falling and trapping her.

 _"What happened?"_ Ursula asks worriedly. " _Akko?!"_

"I'm trapped under some debris." Akko mutters. "I can't move."

 _"I'm almost there!"_ Diana promises and Akko can hear how scared she sounds. _"I will be there."_

"Diana, Ursula and Croix-Sensei…" Akko smiles softly and watches the creature pointing its weird hand at her. "Meeting you… It was really fun." she closes her eyes when the light from the beam starts blinding her. "I love you all." she whispers and just waits for that strange being to finish her.

 _"AKKO!"_ the three witches scream panicked.

 _"RAINBOW MOON HEARTACHE!"_ Akko hears and suddenly the blinding light in front of her disappears, the core and everything that had been surrounding her being wrapped in a ray of…

In a ray of hearts?

Looking further up, she notices a woman standing in front of her. She had long blonde hair and a blue uniform with what seemed to be a wand in her hand. Yet her magic, though it seemed quite powerful, was not destroying anything, merely repairing what had been damaged or tarnished by the alien magic.

 _"AKKO! AKKO!"_ she hears panicked screams coming from her phone and that's what makes her speak for the first time since she said goodbye.

"I… I'm alright." Akko whispers and notices the woman in front of her stop using her magic.

 _"Thank Jennifer!"_ Ursula says relieved but the rest of what her family was telling her was being completely lost on Akko, who was now staring at the woman in front of her in complete shock.

Because this woman, her savior, was someone she knew.

Someone she cared deeply about.

"Akko…" the blonde woman in front of her says surprised. "It... It can't be."

"Usagi." she whispers and faints; the shock of almost dying, of depleting herself of magic, of meeting Usagi and seeing her use magic making her collapse on the floor.

Followed by complete darkness.

A Souivre...

* * *

Surprise! This will be a LWA/Sailor Moon arc! Hope you find the idea fun and right now I don't know how long this arc will be. But for sure it will be at least 3 chapters.


	23. Act23 Fighting with New Allies

Part II of the LWA/Sailor Moon arc!  
Akko wakes up to find Diana and the Sailor Guardians close to fighting each other.  
Could this all be part of a new villain's nefarious plan?

Ps: I would normally post some OST to play while reading this if that's what you like but unfortunately fanfiction doesn't let you paste links.

Still, I'll name the songs just in case you're interested.

Inner Sailors' Transformation: Crisis Power Make Up! OST Sailor Moon Crystal S3

Sailor Uranus Theme: Sailor Moon Crystal S3

Battle Theme: tragic Battle ~ Yasuharu Takanashi

Enjoy!

* * *

Darkness, she's surrounded by darkness.

 _Akko…_

Why couldn't she open her eyes? Why was she feeling so weak?

 _Because I ran out of magic…_ Akko thinks bitterly.

She was supposed to be stronger, better at using her magic in tense situations. That's why she had been practicing with Ursula and Diana daily. To be helpful in difficult situation and to defend herself.

But again, it turns out that when she needed her magic the most, it failed her.

 _Akko…_

Though to be fair, she did manage to attack some creatures, fight alongside Ursula-Sensei and almost destroy the core. It was bad luck that she got distracted and missed one of those monsters creeping from behind.

A creature that was destroyed by her friend Usagi who happened to be there, was wearing a costume and had used some kind of spell to obliterate the monster.

Her friend Usagi who last time she checked was just a regular middle school student.

Finally opening her eyes, Akko can see Usagi staring down at her. The blonde woman was carefully holding her head since it seemed that she had collapsed the moment she ran out of magic? Akko wasn't sure. Nevertheless, there was also a light pink rod laying next to them and that reminded the brunette witch of what had happened a couple of moments ago.

"Usagi…" Akko starts saying. "How did you…" she intends to ask but is interrupted by a frantic scream.

"AKKO!" the brunette witch hears a panicked familiar voice and opens her eyes in shock, instantly moving up and bumping her head with Usagi's.

"Ouch!" the Japanese witch groans and watches Diana running straight towards her, only stopping when she realizes that someone else is holding her.

"Let go of her." Diana threatens Usagi while pointing her wand at the strange woman.

"What?" Usagi asks surprised. "I was just helping her."

"Release her, _now._ " the heiress whispers and Akko knows that Diana is really close to losing it.

"Diana…" she tries to soothe her girlfriend. "It's alright, she wasn't the one that hurt me. She helped me."

This makes Diana take a deep breath but still keep her wand up.

"Wait!" they all hear many steps coming their way and that's when the room is filled with four more women that are wearing clothes like the one Usagi has.

Women that were now staring at Diana and the way she was pointing her wand at Usagi.

"You!" a blue-haired woman says to Diana surprised. "I thought we told you to get out of this place."

This makes Akko stare curiously at the newcomers and Diana, because she was pretty sure that her girlfriend had never mentioned to her that she had friends here in Japan.

And with the way the blonde witch was staring at them, it seemed like that wasn't the case at all.

"I knew it was a bad idea to help her." a woman with long blonde hair and a bow mutters. "I think you should lower that weapon."

"Not until she lets her go." Diana doesn't budge.

"Diana!" Akko tries to move up but groans in pain when she realizes that she's still weak.

This groan is misunderstood by Diana who takes a step forward, one that sets the other women in the room to an attack stance.

"Stop!" a woman with raven hair threatens and raises her hand. "Or we'll attack you."

"Girls!" Usagi exclaims worriedly. "Don't!"

"And I'll be forced to retaliate." Diana says sternly. "I don't want to, specially because you helped me earlier, but I will if I have to."

"You... After we saved you, you plan to attack us." a tall ginger-haired woman growls and electricity starts coming out of her body.

Nevertheless, before something could be done by either of them, there is a spark of light that envelops the room in a mix of petals, four unfamiliar fighters coming out of what seemed to be a set of doors. The four newcomers were wearing clothes similar to the ones the rest of women had and that only worried Diana even more than before.

Akko and her were clearly outnumbered.

"No one will attack." a green-haired woman says calmly and all the women in the room feel the authority behind those four words.

Whomever this person was, Diana and Akko thought, she held power and her opinion mattered to this group of fighters.

Yet before the fighters from earlier had a chance to argue, there was another ray of light. But in this one, instead of more sailors, Diana and Akko saw their mentors; Ursula and Croix. The two older witches made their way towards the newcomers and nodded politely at them.

"Ursula and Croix-Sensei!"

"Neptune, Uranus, Saturn and Pluto!" Usagi and Akko say at the same time and the two of them just look at each other before bursting into laugher, making the newcomers smirk and the rest of women to stare dumbly at them.

"What is happening?" the blue-haired woman from earlier asks Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto.

"We didn't know you were back in Japan." the one with the thunder powers adds.

"We weren't." a beautiful woman with aquamarine hair replies soothingly. "But Saturn told us that a new threat was coming and that you were going to need our help." she smiles proudly at the black-haired girl that was standing next to them.

"Hence, we had to cut our vacation short." a blonde with short hair pouts. "Anyway, Saturn, tell them what you told us."

Saturn nods and points at the four witches.

"These women are no danger to Sailor Moon." Saturn promises the other fighters and they all take her words to heart because they immediately relax.

"Just like these sailors will not hurt Akko, Diana." Ursula smiles kindly. "Please lower your wand." she asks and the blonde witch does so immediately.

Once the situation has calmed down and there is no longer the danger of the two factions attacking each other, Uranus approaches the four fighters from earlier.

"You four." Uranus huffs. "Before threatening to attack someone, relax and take a moment to hear them out."

"But she was pointing her weapon at Sailor Moon!" the blonde with the bow defends herself and her team's response.

"Well Venus, wouldn't you do the same if you happened to find Mars being held by a total stranger?" Neptune jokes and watches both Venus and Mars blush brightly.

"Besides, you shouldn't blame Diana for getting worried about her girlfriend's well-being." Croix smirks. "Though Diana, to act so irrationally is unlike you."

"Akko wasn't answering her phone and I just thought that something horrible had happened to her." Diana chokes out and all the women in the room immediately feel sorry for her.

"I'm sorry Dia, I fainted because I lost my magic the moment my attack failed." Akko apologizes and uses Usagi to support herself while standing up. "And, this woman, she's my friend." she smiles brightly.

"She is?" Diana and the other four women who were previously close to attacking each other ask at the same time.

"Yes!" Akko walks to where Diana is and switches from Usagi's arms to hers, kissing her girlfriend on the lips before turning around to start the introductions. "Diana, this is Usagi, my best friend. Usagi, this is Diana, my girlfriend."

Diana simply stares at the blonde woman, who was giving her a welcoming smile while holding her hand out.

"THAT'S USAGI?!"

"THAT'S AKKO?!" Diana, Venus, Mars and the other two women ask at the same time, making everyone in the room apart from them start laughing.

LWALWALWALWA

"I'm deeply sorry about what happened!" Diana apologizes to the four sailors that she had almost attacked.

After making sure that were no traces of the dark energy in the building, the sailors and witches of Luna Nova decided to reconvene at the sailors' headquarters to further discuss what had happened and what could be done about it.

"Please!" Venus says immediately. "We are the ones that are sorry!" she promises and her three other friends nod in confirmation. "We should have asked you what was happening before threatening to attack you."

"Well, I should have done the same." the heiress looks at Usagi. "I really am sorry."

"I understand. Let bygones be bygones." Usagi gives her a warm smile.

"Usagi is right." Uranus smiles softly at her and then stares at the other women. "In fact, I thought that it would be nice to introduce each other as a sign of friendship." she proposes and gets confirmation nods from everyone in the room.

Usagi takes the lead and turns around to look at Akko, Diana, Ursula and Croix.

"My name is Usagi Tsukino, also known as Sailor Moon. Pleasure to meet you."

"My name is Rei Hino, also known as Sailor Mars. Nice to meet you." Mars smiles at them.

"My name is Minako Aino but I'm also known as Sailor Venus." Venus tells them cheekily. "Nice to meet you." she grabs the blue-haired woman that was standing close to her with a soft chuckle. "And this is Ami Mizuno, also called Sailor Mercury."

"A pleasure to meet you." Ami says embarrassed.

"And I'm Makoto Kino." the tall ginger-haired woman smiles happily at them. "Also known as Sailor Jupiter. Nice to meet you."

"We five." Minako continues to explain. "Are known as the Inner Sailors. We are responsible of protecting Sailor Moon and helping her fight evil."

"While we four…" Uranus tells them calmly. "Are the Outer Sailors. We are also responsible of protecting Sailor Moon but our jurisdiction are threats from outer space. My name is Haruka Tenoh, also known as Sailor Uranus."

"I'm Michiru Tenoh and Sailor Neptune, a pleasure." Neptune introduces herself charmingly.

"Setsuna Meioh. Sailor Pluto." Pluto tells them simply.

"And I'm Hotaru Tomoe as well as Sailor Saturn." the youngest woman tells them with a kind smile. "It is nice to meet Usagi's friends." she looks at Akko. "I can only imagine how much Usagi must have been talking about you coming."

This makes the inner sailor nod in agreement and for Usagi to blush brightly.

"Don't feel embarrassed." Diana chuckles. "Akko has also been really excited about seeing you."

"Diana!" Akko mutters embarrassed.

"I's only fair I tell them Akko." the blonde heiress smirks before turning to look at all the sailors. "My name is Diana Cavendish, Luna Nova student and heiress of the Cavendish family. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"My name is Ursula Callistis and I'm a teacher at Luna Nova." Ursula smiles kindly. "But some people may also know me as Shiny Chariot."

"YOU'RE SHINY CHARIOT?!" Usagi, Rei, Minako and Makoto scream excitedly.

"I loved your shows!" Makoto says happily to the blushing red-haired woman. "When you came to Japan I traveled all the way to Osaka to watch you perform."

"I think we all did." Rei murmurs. "Everyone loved Shiny Chariot."

"Well, I totally get their sentiment because she's the greatest witch of all time." Croix chuckles when Chariot blushes even more than before. "And my name is Croix Meridies, Luna Nova teacher and inventor."

"YOU'RE CROIX MERIDIES!" they all stare at Ami who was looking at Croix with stars in her eyes.

"You've heard of me?" the lilac-haired woman asks pleasantly surprised.

"I KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU! How your inventions have been saving millions of dollars in energy consumption while helping to re-direct it to the poorest communities in England." Ami explains happily. "I find the design and schematics you used for the neutron plant fascinating."

This makes all the sailor women laugh while Ami blushes brightly.

"I'm flattered." Croix tells her kindly. "In fact, how about we work together on something while I'm here?"

"Really?!" Ami feels like it's Christmas.

"Well, seems like we were meant to based on the circumstances that allowed us to meet." Croix tells them seriously.

"Indeed." Setsuna agrees. "The fact that this attack occurred the moment you arrived to Tokyo is no coincidence."

"Does that mean we caused it?" Akko asks softly.

"Of course not." the older woman soothes her. "It just means that this new threat is connected to you as well as to us since the power those creatures had is like ours."

"Our powers come from our home planets." Minako explains to the witches. "Since I'm Sailor Venus, that means my powers are a manifestation of my planet's energy."

"So that's why your magic feels different." Diana realizes.

"Our powers are connected to specific elements." Ami tells them. "Water, fire, lighting, thunder, darkness, wind, etc.; they're all elements that we use to perform our attacks."

"Our magic comes from a network of magic channels around the earth." Ursula smiles. "We call them Leylines and by using wands, witches can extract magic from the Leylines and use them. Or at least they could when they were stronger."

"Right now, to perform spells, we need to be either close to magical stones called Sorcerer's Stones or use routers like this one." Akko shows them the machine. "Magic is concentrated in different areas of the world and unfortunately there's not a lot of it in Japan."

"So your spells are the ones that allow you to do different things?" Rei asks intrigued.

"Correct, it all depends on the spell and skill of the witch." Diana says.

"So that's how you fought the creatures before we got there." Usagi mutters. "You used your magic and then tracked the dark energy of the core to inside the building."

Croix, Ursula, Diana and Akko nod in confirmation.

"Although the core's magic was different, it could still be traceable." Croix says carefully. "But, I have a question." she looks at the sailors. "If I was able to track this power, why weren't you? Based on the machines I can see here, none of them are from this planet, correct?"

Ami nods in confirmation.

"We don't know why it took us such a long time to get an alert." the blue-haired woman admits to them.

"We only realized something was happening when Rei had a vision about it." Makoto mutters.

"Unlike the Outer Sailors, most of us, except for Rei, are not as sensible as they are when it comes to tracing foreign magic." Minako says annoyed.

"That's why we were able to come aid you as quickly as we did." Setsuna explains to them and then looks at the witches. "We are more sensible to dark energies because our weapons and powers are stronger than the Inner Sailors."

"They are?" Akko asks.

"Indeed." Michiru says to her calmly. "Since we are the ones meant to stop any threat that comes from outer space, we need more power. The Inner Sailors' sole mission is to protect Sailor Moon."

"Why is Usagi so important?" the brunette witch asks curiously and this earns her some smirks and chuckles from all the sailors except Usagi, who was blushing brightly.

"Because of who Sailor Moon is." Haruka laughs. "Come on Usagi, tell her who you are."

"Haruka!" Usagi complains. "It's so embarrassing to say."

"But still true." Hotaru smiles kindly at her. "One would think that you would already be over it."

"I am!" the blonde complains. "But that doesn't mean that I don't get embarrassed when I explain it." she takes a deep breath and stares at Akko. "Turns out that I'm the reincarnation of a Moon Queen that had her planet destroyed millions of years ago and my friends are also the reincarnations of my sailor guardians from the past. We fight against aliens and other forces of evil that are trying to destroy the world by taking control of the Silver Moon Crystal that allows me to transform into Sailor Moon or to Queen Serenity."

Akko simply stares at her.

"I know it's hard to believe." Usagi stutters. "But I promise you that's the truth! The reason I didn't tell you this when you were here in Japan was because I didn't remember. I only got my memories back after I became Sailor Moon."

Akko continues to remain silent.

"Akko?" she asks worriedly and everyone in the room is anxiously waiting for the brunette's reaction.

"THAT IS FUCKING AMAZING!" Akko screams and this makes Usagi and everyone else stare at her in shock. "YOU'RE A QUEEN FROM THE MOON AND YOU HAVE YOUR OWN SET OF KNIGHTS?!"

"Well, I guess that's a good way to summarize things." Minako chuckles and everyone else does so as well. "Nice to see you taking it so well."

"Being a witch means that I've seen a lot of weird stuff." Akko smiles warmly. "I mean, there are some odd spells and things out there." she reminisces. "Like giant bats, or bizarre red stones that make you switch bodies, or flowers that act as aphrodisiacs…"

"Ok Akko I think they get it." Diana interrupts her with a bright blush on her face.

"Flowers that act as aphrodisiacs." Haruka smirks knowingly at Diana. "Now that sounds interesting. Tell us more about it, Akko."

"Don't, Akko…" Diana threatens her girlfriend. "Besides, I think we should focus on today's situation."

"I agree." Setsuna says amused and gives Haruka a warning look. "Although this is the first attack that we've had in a while, it's not going to be a one-time incident."

"How can you be certain of that?" Rei asks worriedly.

"Because even though we destroyed this core, there are other ones inactive around the city."

"Croix-Sensei was able to locate them with the aid of Mama-Michiru's mirror." Hotaru explains to them, making Diana, Akko, Croix and Ursula stare curiously at each other after that remark.

"We only realized this after we arrived to help you and met with Ursula and Croix. Setsuna and I are assuming that our talismans and technology are not powerful enough to detect this new evil energy without the aid of magic from these Leylines." Michiru informs them and this makes Ami open her eyes in shock.

"Which means that this new enemy has both. It has magic and powers." she realizes and watches Setsuna nod in agreement.

"That seems like the most plausible explanation for our tracker's ineffectiveness."

"Then you have our full support." Akko offers them immediately.

"But these creatures are our responsibility." Usagi says softly.

"Yet they have magic like ours." it's Diana the one that says this. "Which means that we're also responsible for them."

"We can help you." Ursula agrees with them. "Although they were vulnerable to our magic, it took a lot of spells and energy to eliminate them. I believe that if we combine your powers with our magic it should be easier to combat them."

"I cannot argue that." Minako tells her sailors. "It did take us a while to get rid of those creatures and not because they were experts at fighting."

"And…" Croix gives Ami a happy smile. "We can work together on upgrading your machine and integrating some elements that will help you track our type of magic as well."

"That sounds wonderful."

"Then we agree to work together!" Haruka smiles happily. "And since you've already tracked many cores in the city you know what that means!"

"Secret mission time!" every sailor in the room exclaims and Akko, Diana, Ursula and Croix merely chuckle, excited and nervous about what was coming.

LWALWALWALWA

After resting for a little bit in the sailors' headquarters, the group decided to split into two teams to cover more territories and get rid of more cores. Akko, Usagi, Makoto, Rei and Haruka were part of group A while Diana, Minako, Michiru, Setsuna and Ursula were part of group B. The remaining members of the team, who were Hotaru, Ami and Croix; had decided to stay back and work on fixing the tracking machine, hoping to fix it before another attack occurred.

The plan, which seemed solid, had been one all the sailors and witches had agreed with. It just made more sense to divide the location of the cores and separate the teams based on the energy-sensibility of its members. Minako and Haruka had determined that since the tracking machine from the sailors' headquarters wasn't working, the best thing for them to do was split the groups so that each one would have two energy-sensible members to track the cores.

Yet now that Akko had gotten the chance to interact more with the sailors, it was clear that even though Haruka and Rei had been adamant about executing this plan, neither of them seemed to like it very much. The two women, who were walking ahead of the team because they were the ones that had more sensibility to dark energy, were fidgeting and trying to act like they weren't worried.

"Will they be alright?" Akko whispers to Usagi while watching the two sailors in front of them.

"It has just been a while since the two of them have had to separate from their girlfriends." Usagi smiles condescendingly. "But they proposed this plan because they know it is the best course of action."

"To us sailors, our first duty is to protect our Queen and her new planet." Makoto explains to Akko. "So even though they may feel uncomfortable about separating from their significant others, they will do so it if that means keeping Usagi safe."

"Which is something I wish you wouldn't do." Usagi murmurs dejectedly. "You already gave your life for me once."

"And we will do it as many times as we need to." Rei adds simply. "Minako agrees with my sentiment."

"And so does Michiru." Haruka gives her a kind smile. "Besides, it is easy for us to do this because we know you'll protect us."

"Of course I will." Usagi promises them vehemently. "With everything I have."

"We know, Queen Serenity." the three women respond and this makes Usagi groan.

"I swear you're so annoying." the blonde sailor huffs annoyed and the three other ones laugh.

Akko watches the exchange with a warm smile on her face.

"I'm happy for you, Usagi." she says suddenly and this makes her friend look curiously at her. "You found a family."

Usagi smiles and nods in agreement while Haruka, Makoto and Rei decide to give the two friends some space to talk privately.

"You still remember that talk we had."

"How could I forget?" Akko chuckles. "It was what made me decide to leave Japan."

"I'm sorry." Usagi whispers.

"Don't be. You helped me realize that I needed to be somewhere else. And thanks to you, I learned magic and then met Diana."

Usagi nods in acceptance and remains silent, watching the brunette witch look at their surroundings.

"You know…" Akko says after a while. "Here was the last place I was expecting to fight some evil forces."

This makes Usagi give her a sad smile.

"I was surprised you decided to come back." she admits hesitantly. "I thought it would take you longer to find your way here."

"I thought so as well." the brunette agrees with her friend. "But after everything I've gone through in Luna Nova, after saving the world and getting together with Diana… I guess I just wanted to come back home and show the people I care about who I've become." she then looks down. "To show them who I really am."

Usagi nods in understanding.

"And I will be with you every step of the way." she promises her dear friend.

"Thank you Usagi." Akko smiles warmly and hugs her tight, immediately reminiscing the many hugs the two of them had shared in the past.

Nevertheless, out of the corner of her eye, Akko caught a strange shadow moving towards them, her reflexes helping her raise a shield around Usagi and her just as Haruka and Rei were screaming at the two of them to look out.

The shield, fortunately, worked and protected both from one of those strange creatures.

Moving Usagi out of the way, Akko concentrates on her magic and feels it coming forth, her wand lighting up and letting her know that it was ready to be used.

 _"Murowa!"_ Akko shoots the monster that had attacked them and it moves away, the strength of her spell making the creature turn to dust.

"Usagi!" Haruka says relieved while making sure that nothing had happened to her. "Are you alright?"

"I am." the blonde sailor promises her. "Akko protected us with her shield."

"I am sorry." Rei says bitterly. "I only just sensed them."

"It's alright." Usagi soothes her friend and notices that more creatures were appearing.

"We're going to be surrounded." Makoto exclaims worriedly.

"We need to transform." Haruka groans and kicks one creature that got too close. "But they're so close that we don't have enough time to take our pens out!"

Looking at the rest of the women and knowing that they needed space to transform before fighting, Akko makes sure Usagi is staring at her before giving her a nod.

"I'll be the distraction!" Akko tells them determined. " _Belga Veeda!"_ she yells and aims her attack at the group of monsters that were trying to surround Usagi, Rei, Haruka and Makoto.

Realizing what Akko was trying to do, Usagi immediately watches the creatures turn away from them and focus on the Luna Nova witch. Smiling at the sight of her friend confidently moving around the field and taking down the monsters with her magic, Usagi turns to look at her fellow sailors.

"Everyone!" Usagi gets the attention of her sailors. "Let's transform!" she orders her friends who nod in confirmation and take their pens out.

 **(Play Inner Sailors song here)**

 _"Moon Cosmic Power!"_

 _"Mars Planet Power!"_

 _"Jupiter Planet Power!"_

 _"Uranus Planet Power!"_

 _"MAKE-UP!"_

They all say and immediately feel the power of the moon and their planets run through them, their clothes changing to their fighting assemble and their strength multiplying. Closing their eyes and letting themselves be lost in their past selves, the sailors confidently allow their powers to manifest and finally feel the transformation process complete.

 **(Play Uranus song here)**

"I am the pretty guardian who fights for love and for justice. I am Sailor Moon!" Usagi says confidently while preparing herself for battle. "And now in the name of the moon: I'll punish you!"

"Protected by Mars, the planet of fire, guardian of war, I am Sailor Mars!" Rei exclaims determined. "In the name of Mars, I'll chastise you!"

"Protected by Jupiter, the planet of thunder, guardian of protection, I am Sailor Jupiter!" Makoto smirks. "I'll fill you with regret and leave you numb!"

"Protected by Uranus of the Outer Solar System, the planet of winds. Guardian of heavens. I am Sailor Uranus!" Haruka yells and calls forth her sword. "My magic tool, Talisman! Show thy power and protect me!" a sword appears in her hand and the blonde woman raises it up. " _Space Sword Blaster!"_ she aims her attack at the creatures that were near Akko and takes most of them out.

 **(Play Battle Theme here)**

"Nice shot!" Akko calls to her and watches the other sailors aiming their attacks at where she was. " _Vega Varulus!"_ she uses magic on her legs and jumps up and out of the way, landing a couple of meters away from where Usagi, Rei, Makoto and Haruka were.

" _Mars Snake Eyes!"_ Rei screams and a fire snake hits two monsters, the two immediately becoming dust.

" _Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!"_ Makoto calls her lighting forth and concentrates it in a ball, it going straight towards a group of those dark entities and making them disappear.

 _"_ Neo Queen Serenity, lend your power to my rod, Heart Moon Rod!" Usagi screams and starts turning around in circles, power concentrating and surrounding her. " _Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"_ she shouts and watches her attack finish the monsters that had remained, the fogginess and darkness that had been sullying the area disappearing.

Getting close to the sailors, Akko nods in thanks before focusing on Usagi.

"If those monsters attacked us then that must mean we're close to a core."

"You're right." Usagi then turns to Haruka and Rei. "Mars, Uranus, can you feel anything?"

Closing their eyes and concentrating, both Haruka and Rei start stretching their powers, trying to see whether it would crash with their own energy.

 _Pop!_

Haruka and Rei snap, both turning towards a dome a couple of meters away from them.

"There!" the two scream.

"It's that dome." Rei adds and all the women start running towards it.

"Though we can sense more of those monsters protecting it." Haruka mutters while placing herself next to Usagi and watches Rei and Makoto do the same.

"Last time they disappeared the moment Usagi destroyed the core, right?" Akko asks them and gets a confirmation nod. "Then we should focus on destroying the dome."

"But last time it took for Sailor Moon to be in her Super Sailor Moon form to destroy it." Makoto adds. "And if we're not all together, Sailor Moon can't transform."

"But I have Akko with me and both Pluto and Croix-Sensei said to us that the core had to be made with both of our powers." Usagi determines.

"Hence if we both attack it at the same time then it will be easier to destroy it." Akko understands what Usagi is trying to say.

"Ok then!" Haruka chuckles. "Since I am the leader of the Outer Sailors I'll take over Sailor Venus' role." she says to Rei and Makoto who nod in agreement. "We need to create an opening for Sailor Moon and Akko so that they can hit the core with their combined powers." she tells the two inner sailors. "That means we three will try to bring all of those monsters' attention to us!"

This makes Rei and Makoto smirk.

"Does that mean that you're giving us permission to create a mess?" Rei asks hopefully.

"Yes!" Haruka smiles. "We will go in there and annihilate all of them!"

"Nice!" Makoto laughs and thunder starts coming from within her. "It's been a while since I've used my full power."

Akko and Usagi merely look at them with a fond smile.

"Should we be getting worried about them destroying the plaza?" Akko asks amused.

"If we want to prevent that then we have to destroy the core as fast as we can." Usagi smirks and can see the monsters Haruka and Rei had been talking about, as well as the dome in the middle of the plaza.

"Ok everyone!" Haruka says excitedly. "Are we ready?!" she asks and gets confirmation nods from everyone. "Then let's begin!" she continues to run forward with Makoto and Rei. " _World Shaking!"_ she screams and the earth crumbles, monsters collapsing and tripping because of this.

" _Burning Mandala!"_ Rei yells and balls of fire start pouring out of her hands, all of them going straight towards the creatures who shriek and burn away.

 _"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"_ Makoto concentrates and the thunder that had been surrounding her starts to form a big ball, it carefully staying suspended in her hand. "Go!" she throws it out and hits the remaining monsters, a path finally created.

"Now go!" Uranus tells Usagi and Akko, who nod in confirmation.

" _Vega Varulus!"_ Akko concentrates on her legs and arms and feels her strength multiplying. "Allow me!" she smirks at Usagi and carries her bridal style, making her friend blush brightly.

"Akko!" Usagi shrieks embarrassed. "I can walk just fine!"

"Really?" the brunette smirks and points towards the ground where big craters had been formed.

"I can jump."

"That far away?"

Usagi mutters because without her Super Sailor Moon powers she can't. This form, her basic Sailor Moon form, was the weakest of the sailor ones and it didn't have much power.

"Ok, perhaps not right now." Usagi admits.

"That's what I thought." Akko chuckles and jumps high up, using her magic to control their bodies and allow them to safely land at the other side. "Now…" the witch stares at the dome. "How do we do this?"

"As fast as you can!" Rei scolds them for taking their time. "Since it's not so simple to keep these monsters away from you!"

"Sorry!" she apologizes to the raven-haired woman. "Ok, let me concentrate my magic!" she closes her eyes and uses the technique Diana taught her to call her magic forth.

Usagi, meanwhile, watches her friend, noticing small tendrils of green light going inside Akko's body. The magic, which seemed to come from their environment, was making Akko shine and was creating a soft veil that seemed to be protecting the brunette woman. And her wand, which had been simply laying on her hand, was now emitting a bright glow.

"Nice Akko!" Usagi compliments her friend who opens her eyes and gives her a dashing smile.

Akko, finally aware of what she was doing, starts creating a shape with her wand and notices tiny specks of green and gold magic pouring out of it. Smirking at the sight, she watches those little specks turn to small creatures that are the same ones that had appeared during her fight with the dark missile.

"What's that?" Makoto asks as she watches Akko's wand. "Those little creatures…" she notices them moving around the field and land on the dark monsters, making them shriek and wail.

"Whatever they are they're bothering the evil entities." Rei says and uses her fire powers to finish destroying them.

"I'm ready!" Akko takes a deep breath and concentrates on her spell.

"So am I!" the blonde sailor produces her wand. "Neo Queen Serenity, lend your power to my rod, Heart Moon Rod!" she feels the power of her crystal concentrating on her rod.

" _Diphulaniado!"_

" _Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"_

Usagi and Akko scream, the two friends watching how their attacks combine and become a supernova of energy, it hitting the core directly. The moment the core is compromised, Haruka, Rei and Makoto notice that just like Akko and Usagi had suspected, the creatures disappeared and the plaza returned to normal.

"We did it." Usagi whispers relieved. "We really did it." she feels her energy waver and is luckily held by Akko, who watches Usagi de-transform with concerned eyes.

"Usagi!" Akko says worriedly while holding her friend close. "Guys!" she calls Rei, Makoto and Haruka who quickly run towards them, letting their transformations fall.

"What happened?" Makoto asks while touching Usagi's forehead to see if she was running a fever. "She doesn't seem to have a fever."

"She must have run out of energy." Haruka says solemnly.

"Sailor Moon is her weakest form and she did use a lot of energy." Rei adds simply while holding Usagi close and noticing her open her eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I am. It just seems like I ran out of energy after our combined attack." Usagi chuckles.

"I'm glad." Haruka says honestly and looks at Akko. "Thank you for that. It would have taken us longer and more energy to eliminate the core without your help."

"Of course." Akko smiles softly but then becomes serious. "Though I'm worried that those creatures managed to sneak-up on us even though Rei and you should be able to sense them."

Rei and Haruka both look down, ashamed of themselves.

"I didn't mean it like that!" the brunette witch immediately says and tries to explain herself but is thankfully saved by Makoto.

"Perhaps you weren't able to sense them because they didn't use magic to approach us. I mean, it seemed like they jumped us instead of materializing like these dark creatures usually do." Makoto murmurs.

"You're right." Rei exhales before continuing. "I was only able to sense them the moment they tried to launch their attack at Usagi and Akko." she then looks at Akko. "But you were already activating your shield before Haruka and I warned you. Which means that you must have seen them before us."

"You saw them?" Haruka asks intrigued and Akko nods in confirmation.

"I saw a shadow moving in the woods and kept alert just in case." Akko simply explains. "I didn't sense a dark energy though, just happened to see something and chose to act cautiously."

"So they were walking and that's why we didn't sense them." Rei says annoyed. "I don't like this."

"The fact that they managed to find a way to surprise us?" Makoto asks.

"The fact that it seems like these creatures are capable of thinking, creating plans and correcting past mistakes." Usagi understands what Rei is trying to say.

"Because if they do, then that means that just like we're learning how to fight them better, they're also realizing and using our weaknesses against us." Haruka explains worriedly. "And to be honest, I don't think that these creatures are very high-up in the chain of command."

"The chain of command?" Akko asks confused.

"What Haruka means is that these monsters are most probably just simple soldiers sent to die and measure our power." Rei explains to the witch. "And that they're being led by a stronger monster. A general in a manner of speaking."

"And this general is getting information about us and our attacks and how to best counter-produce them." Makoto groans. "That's why they didn't use their magic until they were close enough to ambush us."

"Indeed." Haruka says and hears a ringtone, all the women looking at Akko who was taking her phone out of her pocket.

"Yes, Croix-Sensei?" Akko asks surprised because she wasn't expecting the inventor to call her.

 _"Akko, the tracker sensed an increase in dark energy. Did you run into some creatures?"_

"We did." the witch tells her calmly. "We also found a core and destroyed it combining Usagi's and my magic."

 _"Ami, that means our theory was correct."_ Croix seems to say to Ami. _"Put me on speaker."_

"Ok…" Akko does as told and signs to the other women to get closer. "You're on speaker."

" _Everyone…"_ Ami says. _"Croix-Sensei and I have been working on the tracker but are still unable to track these creatures' energies unless they actively use them."_

 _"But still, we should have been able to sense them once the sailors and Akko fought against them."_ Croix adds worriedly.

"They only started using their magic once they cornered us." Haruka informs the two scientists. "It seems like they're learning from past mistakes and using those strategies in future attacks."

 _"But how?"_ Ami asks. _"I don't remember leaving any survivors in our first fight? We destroyed them all."_

"We also destroyed them all." Rei whispers.

"And the rest disappeared the moment Akko and I destroyed the core." Usagi adds.

 _"It's the core!"_ Croix screams. _"That's what they're using to communicate with each other! They're all made with the same dark energy and we have already seen that the core can act like a jammer to your tracker."_

All the women open their eyes in shock.

 _"That seems plausible."_ they can hear Ami typing. _"From your previous calculations, the cores that we found seem to be in areas that can be interconnected with each other."_

"So the cores are also acting like satellite towers?" Makoto asks confused.

 _"The cores are all sharing information with each other and also seem to control the presence of dark creatures."_ Croix explains. _"In a way, allowing them to change their strategies and exchange information within cores."_

"And right now…" Haruka says terrified. "We just showed them that their strategy to ambush us works and how we have planned to attack them."

Rei and Akko immediately realizes what Haruka means and the raven-haired woman takes her phone out, frantically dialing Minako.

 _"Which can be used against group B."_ Ami whispers. _"Their powers or magic haven't been activated and we can't see anything on the tracker."_

"That tracker doesn't work!" Rei screams and shrieks when her call goes straight to voicemail. "Minako isn't answering."

"Diana…" Akko panics as well and tries to use her magic to sense her girlfriend but realizes she's too exhausted for it to work. "I can't use my magic to sense her!"

"Everyone calm down!" Makoto says because she can see that Usagi was also close to losing it. "I can only imagine what you must be feeling." she tells them honestly. "But if we don't calm down we won't be of any help to them."

 _"Makoto is right."_ Croix tells them bitterly. _"Believe me, I know how you feel because Chariot is with them."_ she adds softly. _"But the reality of things is that we won't be able to track them until the tracker senses their power."_

"How long did it take for it to sense us?" Haruka whispers dejectedly.

 _"We called you the moment it did."_ Ami admits.

"The fight was already over when that happened!" the Haruka screams.

" _I_ _t seems that the cores are the ones blocking our tracker from sensing energy and magic."_ the young inventor tries to explain.

"So what, are you telling us that there's nothing we can do? That we have to wait until they either destroy the core or die before finding them?!" Rei cries desperately. "Ami, our friends are there! My Minako is there!"

Haruka, shockingly, doesn't say anything and just sits on the floor; her gaze absent and her stance defeated.

"Rei…" Usagi whimpers. "It's not her fault."

"I know that!" Rei is losing it. "I just… We can't just stay here and wait! There must be something we can do!"

Akko closes her eyes, thinking of a way to find Diana. She knew that her bond with the blonde was powerful, and that when needed, they could do miracles together. And, based on the way Rei and Haruka were panicking, it seemed like their bond with their significant other was just as powerful as hers was.

"Haruka, Rei…" Akko tells them firmly. "Close your eyes."

"What?" Rei asks angrily. "Akko, if you tell me to close my eyes and take a breath…" she threatens her.

"Akko, right now is not the tim…" Haruka starts saying.

"CLOSE THEM!" the brunette witch screams and the two older women immediately do as said. "Now…" she takes a deep breath. "Concentrate on your girlfriend. Think of Minako." she says to Rei. "Try to remember the essence of her power and what it feels like when you're close to her."

Rei nods in confirmation and starts doing what Akko was telling her.

"Haruka, think of Michiru." Akko tells her softly. "Think of what it feels like when your powers combine, of her aura when you're together and try to imagine it as a thin thread that you're trying to hold…" Akko opens her eyes and watches the two women smile softly.

"Ok, now that you found it." she can find Diana's thread quickly as well. "Imagine us joining our threats, putting them all together and making a ticker and stronger one." she senses the two sailors doing as said. "Feel it wrapping around each other and materializing in front of you. Feel it leading us to where our girlfriends are."

Akko, Rei and Haruka smile happily at the warmth and love that was emanating from the thread, the three women capable of sensing how much the bond of the other women meant to each of them and how special this type of connection was.

A connection that seemed to be leading them to the shrine.

"They're in the shrine!" Akko, Haruka and Rei scream at the same time, getting some surprised looks from Makoto and Usagi.

"You sure?" Makoto asks.

"Positive." Haruka says and waits for Usagi to give the order.

Nodding in acceptance, Usagi takes the lead.

"Everyone!" she says determined. "Let's go save our friends!"

"Ok!" they all scream and start heading to the shrine.

 _"Akko…"_ the brunette hears Croix say. _"Be careful."_ she warns her student.

"I will make sure Ursula-Sensei is alright as well!" she vows.

 _"Thank you."_ the lilac-haired woman says relieved. _"Now go! Help your friends and don't do anything too risky."_

"Hai Sensei!" she promises and hangs up, catching up to her friends who were quickly running towards the shrine.

 _Please Diana…_ the brunette witch thinks worriedly while concentrating on canalizing her magic… _Please be alright._

A Suivre...


	24. Act24 Strange Magic

Diana, Ursula, Michiru, Setsuna and Minako go in search of the second core. Meanwhile, Croix, Ami and Hotaru try to find a way to make the Sailor Radar work.

Yay to new chapter! I'm having so much fun writing about these 2 universes coming together! Hopefully you're enjoying this new arc as well.

* * *

 _Who would have thought…_ Diana thinks while staring at the many buildings and areas around her… _That I would be walking around Tokyo without Akko…_

When Akko had asked her to come to Japan with her, Diana had been ecstatic. She knew that there were some things that her girlfriend had not told her about her childhood. In fact, now that she thought about it, Akko seemed to always be hesitant to talk about her past. She conversed with Diana about it; the brunette having mentioned in passing how she had been bullied by her peers. But it didn't go beyond that.

And Diana _knew_ that there was more.

But as it seemed to happen when she was with Akko, Professor Croix and Professor Ursula, things didn't work out the way she had expected them to. Not that she blamed her girlfriend for this, because ironically, this time neither Professor Croix nor Akko were the ones responsible for this situation. Instead it seemed that this dark presence had decided to make itself known after sensing them here. Yet this only made Diana wonder what made them so important. Why did these creatures start attacking them the moment they arrived to Japan?

Because based on what they had talked about earlier with the Sailor Guardians, there had not been any attacks until today.

 _Could it be because we're here?_

 _Could it be connected to Akko and I?_

 _Perhaps a result of us breaking the Great Seal and returning magic to the world?_

All of these were possibilities that she had discussed with Professor Ursula. The older witch, although she had explained to her that this could be something else, did not completely dismiss her ideas. And, she had also heard Michiru and Setsuna discuss that the aliens that attacked them seemed to be attracted to an energy here on earth.

An energy that based on Professor Croix's analysis seems to be a mixture of the Leylines and the Sailors' powers.

And that, to Diana, was worrisome.

"You look like you have a lot on your mind." Diana hears a soft voice say to hear and turns around to see Michiru smiling at her.

Diana nods, knowing that there was no point in denying that she had been distracted.

"I just didn't think I would be doing this when I got into a plane to come here to Japan." the blonde witch admits.

Michiru chuckles and gets closer to her.

"I don't think people expect to fight evil during their holiday vacation." she jokes with the blonde witch and this makes Diana laugh, which in turn makes the rest of people in their group focus on their conversation.

"To be honest, before coming here I was freaking out about meeting Akko's friends and making a good impression. Right now though, all that stress I was experiencing feels so insignificant."

"It's not." Michiru tells her warmly. "Because from what I have seen, Akko's happiness is the most important thing to you. It's like your whole world revolves around her and keeping her content."

Diana blushes brightly but doesn't deny this statement, which makes the older woman giggle.

"It is very different from the impression I got of you three years ago, Diana." she finishes kindly.

This statement makes Minako, Ursula and Setsuna stare at each other, wondering if what they were hearing meant that the two of them knew each other from somewhere else.

"It was a different time. I was different back then." Diana admits to her honestly. "Although, to be quite honest, you're not too far behind, Michiru. Because when we met, the last thing I was expecting was for you to be a sailor guardian." the heiress teases the older woman who laughs in return.

"Indeed." the sailor guardian grins. "I honestly didn't think I was going to see you again, especially in a situation like this one."

Diana nods in agreement, making the people listening to their conversation feel too curious to pretend they weren't eavesdropping.

"Ok, if no one here is going to ask them, then I will." Minako says suddenly, noticing that the blonde witch and aquamarine sailor were now staring at her. "You two know each other?!" she asks.

Diana and Michiru simply nod.

 _That trait of theirs is so annoying…_ Minako thinks after she wasn't given a clearer answer, knowing that she would have to ask more questions.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" the blonde sailor continues questioning the two women, who just chuckle.

Ursula and Setsuna giggle, feeling a little bad about the way the Luna Nova witch and violinist were teasing the blonde woman.

"I don't believe she asked the right question, did she?" Ursula jokes with the time sailor, who nods and gets the sailor captain's attention.

"You know Minako, I believe we really haven't had the time to talk with each other because of all the threats and dangers we're facing." Setsuna teases her.

"But they could have said hi just like Akko and Usagi did!" Minako says annoyed. "And are you really teasing me, Setsuna?!"

The group laughs.

"Even though we know each other, we aren't as close as Akko and Usagi are." Diana explains with a soft smile.

"We met three years ago at a benefit concert in London." Michiru tells them. "I was asked to perform, mostly to invite Japanese families to the event, while Diana assisted the event because she's a Cavendish."

"Don't sell yourself short Michiru." Diana smiles warmly at her. "You were asked to perform at the concert because you're one of the best violinist players in the world. Your family name didn't influence that decision." she promises. "Though it did encourage the organization to invite your family and other families of Japan."

"If I remember correctly, you were part of the witches' panel that was responsible of organizing the event, right?" Ursula asks her student.

Diana nods in confirmation.

"To be honest, I was the one that suggested your name to the panel." the heiress confesses with a soft blush on her face. "I had just listened to one of your Cd's and fell in love with the way you played." she chuckles. "When I was told that I would form part of the selection panel, I brought your Cd to the meeting in hopes of convincing the other witches of asking you to perform." she chuckles. "After they listened to the CD, it wasn't hard to get them to send you an invitation. You were that good."

"I see." Michiru smiles warmly at her. "If you don't mind me asking, which cd did you hear?"

" _A Lost Soul."_ Diana admits.

Michiru chuckles warmly.

"I recorded that CD a couple of months after I first became Sailor Neptune." the aquamarine woman reminisces. "I had a lot of conflicting and dark emotions that I explored and embraced during this time. I believe this made that CD sound more melancholic."

"I see." the blonde smiles kindly at her. "Well Michiru, I didn't tell you this that night we met, but your music helped me face my growing feelings for Akko. It made me realize that my fear of getting close to people was making me lose the opportunity of being happy. Like you, during that time, I also was a Lost Soul."

"I'm very happy to hear you say that, Diana. Thank you for telling me this." Michiru tells her honestly and the two women reach an understanding with each other.

"Those two…" Setsuna murmurs from afar while watching the exchange. "They're very similar."

"You think so too…" Ursula agrees with the green-haired woman. "The Kaioh name is not unknown to our community, since just like Diana said, powerful families know each other."

"You also form part of a renowned family?"

"Not at all." the red-haired witch chuckles. "But, my girlfriend does. And, she has suffered a lot because of that."

"I don't understand how that would affect her." Setsuna says honestly. "From what I heard of Ami earlier, Croix Meridies is one of the most important inventors and scientists of this era. Why wouldn't her family be happy with this development? Is it because she's dating you?"

Ursula blushes brightly.

"You're quite direct, Setsuna." Minako interrupts them and that makes the two older women realize that Diana and Michiru had also joined the conversation and were now looking at them.

"I apologize." the time sailor says immediately. "I didn't mean to pry, it's just that when there are things I don't know I instantly become fascinated."

"That's alright." Ursula chuckles. "And no, it wasn't because I'm a woman."

"It wasn't?" Minako asks surprised. "That's very forward of them. Not many traditional families are welcoming of same-sex relationships. Trust me, I know…" she murmurs.

"In our society, different families have different standards for witches and their families." Diana explains to the sailors.

"But what makes a family have notoriety over the others?" Michiru asks intrigued. "I assume that like every other system in the world, powerful families have certain benefits that other common citizens do not possess."

Diana and Ursula nod in confirmation.

"If that's the case, and you're saying that there are different parameters to determine who these families are, can we assume that money is not the only element taken into consideration?"

"Just like anywhere else in the world, money can certainly get you in high positions. Nevertheless, there are some titles in our community that are impossible to surpass no matter how wealthy you are." Ursula tells them. "In our case, there were nine very powerful witches that founded everything our community is and knows. They are revered by all and their families are held in very high esteem."

"Nine witches, nine families." Diana continues the tale. "These families are known as the Nine Olde Families and the members of these families tend to be heavily involved in the community and government. My family, the Cavendish, is one of those families. Professor Croix's family is from the union of a man of one of the Nine-Olde families with a woman of outside the Nine-Olde families."

"I see…" Setsuna says intrigued. "And when you said that each family has different demands…"

"In order for family members to maintain their last name and status, the olde families force them to adhere to certain rules. These rules are set by the head of the family, who is the oldest and/or one with closest link to the original Nine-Olde witch." the red-haired witch explains.

"And, in families that are as old as ours, they usually have one goal for longevity." Diana mutters this part.

"To continue the bloodline." Michiru realizes what Diana is trying to say. "That's terrible."

"Some families are more selective than others." Ursula says calmly. "In the case of Croix's family, they weren't that concerned with the fact that I am a woman or not from an olde family. What they were worried about was that my family is mixed. By mixed I mean that my father is not a wizard, he's just a normal man my mom met during a vacation."

"That's just wrong!" Minako says passionately. "For them to not accept you because of who your mother chose to love! It's not right."

"It's not." the older witch admits. "But it's a practice most families have."

"In my case, my family is mostly concerned with reproduction and keeping the Cavendish name alive. That means that all family members should try to have children at some point. And last time I checked, women cannot create a child together." Diana says simply.

"That's terrible." Setsuna agrees with Minako's earlier statements. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but your relationship with Akko is public. How is it that your family allowed it?"

"Her family allowed it because Diana challenged them and became the head of the Cavendish family. No one can oppose her."

"Clever." Minako compliments her fellow blonde fighter. "Bet Akko got all happy and excited about the fact that you defeated your evil family to be with her."

Diana blushes but doesn't deny this.

"Oh you two are precious!" the sailor of love smirks and then focuses on Ursula. "And you are also quite open about your relationship with Croix-Sensei. Did she also challenge her family and become the head?"

"She didn't. She was disinherited after she made it known that we were together." Ursula smiles sadly. "She said her status as the head of the family meant nothing to her if we couldn't be together. Though to avoid a scandal she was allowed to keep using the last name."

"I see…" Michiru murmurs. "So your society's laws and rules change based on the family you belong to. The higher the family, the more chances you can get away with things."

"Yes." Diana says somberly. "And there are many people in these families that take advantage of this."

"Heads of the Nine Olde families are very powerful in our society. If Diana wanted to, she could obtain any position in the government as long as she's sponsored by the other heads of families. Their word, at times, becomes law."

"That is frightening." Setsuna says honestly. "Though at least it's good to know that if worse comes to pass, you'll be able to acquire information for us."

"Information?" Diana asks the older woman confused.

"This entity that we're fighting, it's a mixture of both sailor and witch energy. That's why it's harder to destroy them without combining our powers."

"Setsuna is right." Michiru adds seriously. "And it is worrisome that neither of us seemed to be aware of their presence until they started attacking us. That amount of power should have been detected by the Sailor Radar."

"Croix's mechanisms should have also sensed the magic concentrating on a specific point." Ursula agrees with them. "I know that during her time working for the Ministry she helped install some upgrades to their tracking devices."

"Are you assuming then that the Ministry may have some data we could use?" Diana asks her mentor.

"It's something worth exploring if we cannot fix the Sailor Radar soon." Setsuna says somberly. "I do not like that these creatures are hiding their presence from us."

"I agree with Setsuna." Michiru adds and opens her eyes in shock, turning towards Minako who was farthest away from them.

"Minako!" Setsuna and Michiru scream at the same time, making the blonde sailor look up and see a creature coming straight towards her.

"She won't have time to transform!" Setsuna screams, knowing that they also wouldn't have time, managing to sense an evil entity near Michiru as well.

Looking quickly around her, the green-haired woman notices that many of these creatures were starting to get close to them, Minako and Michiru being the ones in immediate danger because of their position away from the rest of the group.

Staring at each other, Diana and Ursula nod, deciding to separate and each one help a sailor.

Diana, determinedly, runs to where Michiru is and points her wand straight at the monster that was jumping towards her.

Ursula, similarly, reaches Minako and uses her wand to direct her attack to the nearest creature threatening her.

" _Murowa!"_ both witches scream and their spell hits the creatures straight on, making them vanish immediately.

Relieved at knowing that her friends were no longer in immediate danger, Setsuna takes out her sailor wand and watches how the evil entities start to create a circle around them, preventing the group from escaping or transforming.

"This doesn't make sense!" Michiru says worriedly while stepping back and joining the group. "Why didn't we sense them until now?!"

"Because they didn't use their powers." Setsuna realizes what is happening. "They waited until they were close enough to ambush us and are focusing their attacks on us because they know that to use our powers we have to transform."

"How could they even know this?" Minako asks worriedly. "The last time we fought time we were already transformed!"

"It doesn't matter how they know." Setsuna says strongly. "Our main concern right now is to transform so we can fight."

"But they're not giving us enough time or space to transform." Minako finally gets to where the other four women were standing. "It's like they're knowingly preventing us from using our sailor wands."

"Because that is exactly what they're doing." Michiru mutters and tries to talk with Haruka. "It also seems that they're blocking our signal and powers to communicate with the other sailors."

"This means then that we will be the ones in charge of opening a space for you." Diana says stares at Ursula. "We need to distract them."

"I agree." Ursula then looks at the sailor guardians. "The moment we open the area for you, start transforming. Diana and I will cover you."

"Ok!" Minako says and takes her sailor wand out, watching Michiru do the same and Setsuna already having hers in her hand. "We're ready whenever you are."

"Alright." the former performer turns towards Diana. "Remember that spell I taught you but asked you to not cast?"

"Yes." Diana says determined.

"Use it now."

"Alright." the heiress murmurs. "Though I will need some time to concentrate."

"You'll get that." Ursula promises her. "Now, start!" she says and uses her magic to transform her wand into a sword, magic pouring out of it.

Concentrating, Diana can hear the screams and grunts around her, feeling Ursula's magic and power moving near her, protecting her and giving her the time she needed to focus all of her magic towards the top of her wand.

Opening her eyes, Diana watches small rays of magic surrounding her hands and wand, preventing the creatures from getting too close to her. Ursula, having noticed this, turned around and went to where the sailor were, hitting and destroying the creatures that had started to get close to them.

"Incredible…" Minako says while watching Ursula fight. "She managed to kill seven of them in less than four seconds. I barely saw her move."

"She's using magic to manipulate the time around her." Setsuna says shocked. "To her, everything is moving at the same pace while to us she's going faster. It's like she created a time bubble around her."

"And Diana, she needed those four seconds to get her spell ready." Michiru can feel the power coming from the blonde witch. "But they knew the creatures would sense that power and attack her immediately."

"They're clever." Minako agrees, thankful of having them as allies. "Now, everyone get ready because I believe Diana will release her spell now."

Diana, just like Minako predicted, let her spell go.

" _Come, my indestructible guardians! In the name of Cavendish! Brandish your swords and strike down those of evil heart! Fineltina la Serana!"_ the heiress screams and watches her spell go, hitting all the creatures that had been surrounding Michiru, Setsuna and Minako and forcing them to combust in a big explosion of light.

Opening their eyes, the sailor guardians notice that they were no longer surrounded and that Diana had opened the area for them.

"Everyone! Let's transform!" Minako orders and the outer sailors nod in agreement.

" _Venus Planet Power, Make Up!"_

 _"Neptune Planet Power, Make Up!"_

 _"Pluto Planet Power, Make Up!"_

The three older women scream and allow the power of their planets to course through their bodies, feeling it transforming them and giving them the energy they needed to fight. Closing their eyes, they feel their clothes changing and their strength increasing, a sign that they were almost done with their transformation.

"Diana!" Ursula watches the younger witch falling, the amount of magic the spell had taken out of her too strong to handle. "Are you alright?"

"I will be." Diana says happily. "I didn't remember how much energy that spell took of me when I first used it."

"You did a marvelous job." the older woman promises her while noticing more creatures coming their way. "Though I'm afraid our fight is far from over."

"I just need some time to recover." she starts feeling magic being pushed into her. "Professor…"

"Allow me." she smiles softly. "This is why I made you use your family spell." she explains to her. "Because I knew it would only target the evil entities and I would be able to give you some of my magic afterwards."

Diana chuckles.

"Of course you thought of all that in a couple of seconds."

Ursula smiles.

"I trusted you were going to succeed. And that the moment I focused on restoring your magic we would be the ones being covered." she points towards the sailors and Diana notices that they were done transforming.

 _"Protected by Venus, Planet of beauty, Guardian of Love. I am Sailor Venus!"_

 _"Protected by Neptune of the Outer Solar System, the planet of oceans. I am Sailor Neptune!"_

 _"Protected by Pluto, the planet of the underworld, I am Sailor Pluto!"_

The three sailors, once they transformed, immediately focused on the incoming creatures. Noticing that Diana and Ursula were kneeling on the floor, the sailors started getting close to the witches so that they could cover them.

"Diana, Ursula, are you alright?" Minako asks them worriedly while analyzing her surroundings. "Neptune, Pluto, let's create a triangle around them and protect them."

"Got it!" Neptune says while placing herself in front of Diana and Ursula. "Is she alright?" she asks the older witch worriedly.

"She just used a lot of magic and needs to recover." Ursula promises her. "Though, for her to recover faster, I'm giving her some of my magic. Until I'm done, I won't be able to help you."

"That is alright." Setsuna smiles softly at her. "You just make sure Diana is alright and we'll take care of you."

"Yeah!" Minako agrees. "Now it is our turn to kick some ass!" she gets herself into position. "We'll attack in turns of two so that one of us is ready to defend Ursula and Diana just in case some creatures happen to go through us."

"Then we'll start." Setsuna says and Michiru and her go forward. "Let's combine our powers, Neptune, and get rid of those creatures that are on the left."

"Alright." Michiru concentrates on her power and produces her talisman. " _Submarine Reflection!"_

Setsuna, wanting to give Michiru's attack more reach, concentrated her power on her talisman and called her energy forth.

"C _hronos Typhon."_ she murmurs and watches her spell join Michiru's, increasing the power and potency of the attack and eliminating several creatures that were getting too close to Diana and Ursula.

"Nice!" Minako says to them and replaces Setsuna, nodding to Michiru who prepares for a second attack. " _Now, in the name of Venus, allow me to punish you with love!"_ she screams and produces her sword. _"Venus love-me chain!"_

 _"Deep Submerge!"_ Michiru yells and watches her attack get rid of more creatures. "Pluto!" she switches places with the older sailor and notices that Diana is starting to gain some color. "She looks better."

"She should be ready soon." Ursula says calmly while continuing to pour more magic into Diana.

"Won't you lose magic if you give so much to her?" Neptune asks her worriedly.

"Luckily, I happen to possess big quantities of magic inside of me. Giving Diana some of it will not affect me."

"Switch!" they hear Minako scream and now the blonde is the one standing next to them. "You guys don't worry about anything, just make sure Diana is feeling better."

"Thank you." Diana says to the sailor guardian honestly. "I'm sorry I'm incapacitated like this."

"You were the one that gave us the time we needed to transform." Minako reassures her. "The least we can do is protect you until you have your magic back."

"Switch!" Setsuna says and the green-haired sailor stands next to the witches. "That spell you used…" she says to Ursula. "You manipulated time."

"Indeed." Ursula smiles kindly at her. "It is very difficult to use and I'm afraid that I will no longer be able to cast it since I gave some of my magic to Diana."

"I see… I didn't know magic could be used to alter time."

"Magic cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be transformed. It's the same principle as energy because magic is energy." Diana explains to Setsuna. "What Professor Ursula did was use the energy surrounding her to manipulate time. Not many witches can do this, and the ones that can only do it for seconds at most."

"The spell drains you of magic, and if not done correctly, is capable of killing the witch casting it." Ursula tells her and stops sending magic to Diana, who stands up helped by Ursula and Setsuna. "Diana is ready."

"Good." Minako tells them while kicking a monster with her chain. "Now, everyone let's do a circle." she orders the women who do as said. "No matter how many we kill they just keep coming."

"According to what Croix told me, they are connected to the cores. If we destroy the core near us then that should stop them from appearing." Ursula informs them.

"But where is the core?" Diana asks and hits a creature with a spell. "I don't see it anywhere."

"If monsters are attacking us non-stop, then that must mean that the core is active right now." Michiru murmurs while looking at her mirror.

"And if it's active then that should allow Pluto and Neptune to find it." the heiress realizes what Michiru is trying to say.

"Alright then!" Venus says firmly. "Diana, Ursula, let's cover Pluto and Neptune while they try to find the core."

"Got it!" Ursula says and runs forward, magic pouring out of her wand and towards the dark creatures. " _Paleis Capama!"_ she yells and all the dark creatures around them start to levitate. "Now Diana, Venus!"

 _"Belga Veeda!"_

 _"Venus Wink Chain Sword!"_

Diana and Minako scream, their attacks landing on the monsters that had been levitated by Ursula and turning them to dust.

"Good job!" Ursula compliments them both while rushing to where Michiru and Setsuna were standing, having noticed some creatures heading towards them as well. _"Murowa!"_

"Thank you." Setsuna says while concentrating on Michiru's mirror and helping her enhance her abilities. "We're very close."

"Does that mean that you can see something?" Minako asks hopefully to Neptune.

"I can." Michiru opens her eyes and gives them a confident smile. "The core is half a mile up north."

"Good job Neptune, good job Pluto!" Venus says and turns to look at Diana and Ursula. "You two, good job as well."

"Thank you Venus." Diana says and stares ahead. "Though it will all be for naught if we don't destroy that core before a new wave of creatures attack us."

"Diana is right." Setsuna tells them. "We need to head towards the core and destroy it."

"Alright! Let's go team!" Minako encourages them to move forward and the five women start running towards the core, hitting and destroying the creatures that were trying to stop them.

The sooner they destroyed that core, the sooner they would be able to return to their loved ones.

LWALWALWA

"Anything?" Croix asks frustrated while typing some commands to the sailor computer.

"Nothing." Ami tells her disappointed. "Not even with those modifications and algorithms you added to the processor has the sailor radar reacted."

"It just doesn't make sense." the witch mutters. "I believe our theory regarding their energy is correct. Telling the radar about this new combination should allow us to trace the cores and the creatures when they start using their dark energy."

"Perhaps it's because the radar is not a combination of our energies." Ami theorizes. "The sailor radar is made with parts from our world. But it doesn't have anything from yours."

"You're right!" Croix says excitedly. "Only inputting the code won't make the machine work. We need to make it function with both energies at the same time."

"Then what would you suggest?" Hotaru asks and this makes the two older women stare at her.

"Didn't Setsuna tell you to stay at the arcade?" Croix focuses on the young woman.

"She did but I deserve to know what is happening." Hotaru replies firmly. "I know that Haruka-papa is ok, but I cannot sense Michiru and Setsuna Mama."

"Hotaru…" Ami starts to say but stops talking when Croix raises her hand.

"Yeah, regarding how you call those three, I'll ask questions later." Croix murmurs. "And we really have no power or right to prevent you from being here." she stares at Ami. "She's a sailor guardian just like you and her family is out there."

"You're right." the blue-haired woman agrees and refocuses on the computers around her. "Regarding your earlier question, Hotaru, we think that the sailor radar is not working because it doesn't really use magic to function. The thing, we don't know how to fuse our powers into the radar."

"I assume the sailor radar functions with electricity like any other machine?" the raven-haired woman asks the two scientists who nod in confirmation. "Then why not modify its energy input and make it be a magical one?"

Croix and Ami stare surprised at the youngest sailor.

"Those routers you have, you said they store magic from the Leylines. Wouldn't connecting them to the sailor radar and using that energy to power it up accomplish the goal of combining our energies?"

"Hotaru is correct!" Croix says happily. "By using a router that possesses a connection to the Leylines we can combine both energies. Mine is too small for such a machine…" the inventor starts planning. "But if there is a way I can get these parts then I can make the router quickly." she hands the two women a list.

"We have most of these things." Ami starts reading. "Though I don't get the point of why we should also get ramen."

"Because I always invent and create new things while eating ramen. It inspires me."

Hotaru and Ami shrug but know better than to say anything else. Instead, what the two sailors do is go to the back of the headquarters to find everything Croix had written on that list.

They had a magic sailor radar to build.

LWALWALWA

"How far are we?!" Minako asks and turns around to attack. _"Rolling Heart Vibration!"_ she watches some of the creatures that were following them disappear.

"Not too far now." Setsuna promises and notices some monsters getting too close. _"Dead Scream."_

"I think I can see something." Diana adds from behind them and stops to prepare a spell, Ursula following her close and doing the same thing.

 _"Belga Veeda!"_ the two witches scream and more of those fiends are destroyed.

"There!" Michiru stops and points towards a fountain at the edge of the park. "That's the core."

"Then we shouldn't waste time and just destroy it!" Minako says excited and before she can move forward she feels the ground beneath her shake.

" _Garnet Ball!"_

 _"Paleis Capama!"_

Pluto and Ursula scream, levitating all the women before the earth beneath them disappeared, it transforming to darkness.

In fact, everything around them was now pure darkness.

"What happened?" Diana asks while looking around her. "Where is the park?"

"It seems like we were transported to another plane." Setsuna explains worriedly. "Everything, including the core, moved here."

"Then we should assume that the only way for us to return is by destroying the core." Ursula says while holding Diana's hand and keeping her close.

"We also shouldn't separate from each other." Michiru adds and tries to use her mirror to see more about this plane. "My mirror is being blocked again."

"Why did they even bring us here since in doing so they also brought the core with them?" Minako asks confused.

Nevertheless, before any of them had the opportunity to think of an answer, they noticed a creature materializing from the shadows. Where there had been nothing now there was a lion. But this lion was not like any other they had ever seen. In his body, on top of his back, was the head of a goat. His tail, the head of a snake.

"What… what is that?" Diana stutters because she had never seen a creature like that.

"Chimera." Setsuna whispers while watching the animal move around her. "A mythological creature from Ancient Greece that is the offspring of Typhon and Echidna. Seeing a Chimera is often considered an omen for disaster."

"Geez, thanks Pluto for being so pessimistic about this." Minako tries to joke but fails miserably. "Apart form how dangerous it is to see it, do you know what its powers or weaknesses are?"

"If I'm not mistaken, they breathe fire and use it against their enemies." Michiru tells them. "And, according to Homer's story, the Chimera was killed by Bellerophon, who used a block made of lead and had the creature suffocate to death."

"You two certainly know your Greek mythology." Venus murmurs. "Why didn't he just attack the creature?"

"Because it was too strong and its fire was too hot." Ursula adds. "In fact, to get close to the Chimera Bellerophon had to use a flying horse named Pegasus."

"You too…" Minako chuckles.

"Then again, this may not be true at all." the red-haired witch murmurs. "And, I believe that the five of us, if we all hit it at the same time, should be able to kill it."

"I like what you're saying Ursula-Sensei! Everyone! We will all attack that creature at the same time." all the women nod in confirmation and prepare their attacks.

 _"Venus Wink Chain Sword!"_

 _"Chronos Typhon."_

 _"Submarine Reflection!"_

 _"Belga Veeda!"_

All the women say and watch their attacks go straight towards the Chimera, which screams and wails, it being covered by a big wall of smoke.

"Yes, we did it!" Minako says happily but stops moving when she can hear some noises coming from where the creature is.

"Move!" Michiru and Setsuna yell and all of them jump out of the way before a big screen of fire is sent towards them, it barely missing them thanks to Michiru and Setsuna's warning.

Looking up at the fog that was surely dissipating, the three sailor guardians and two witches watch the Chimera calmly walk towards them, not a single scratch or sign of injury on its body.

"Our combined attack did nothing to it!" Michiru says worriedly. "How can that be?"

"I believe it's this plane." Setsuna mutters and pulls the aquamarine woman close to her. "It is draining our powers and hence making our attacks weaker."

"So that's why they brought us here." Diana mutters and uses a spell to cover herself when small flickers of fire land near her. "Oh no…" she whispers and looks at her wand. "Professor Ursula…"

"I know." Ursula tells her worriedly. "In this dimension there are no Leylines. That means our magic will be limited to what we currently have in our wands."

"How much magic do you have left?" Setsuna asks worriedly.

They needed to combine their powers to destroy the core. Without it, all of this would have been for nothing.

"Enough to use two spells each." the Luna Nova professor says apologetically. "The routers can't take energy out of the Leylines since we are in another dimension."

"Well…" Venus says and moves out the way before she's attacked by weird snake head. "Seems like we're in trouble."


	25. The Ball Part I

Summary:

Chapter takes place right after chapter 9 (because of you) but before chapter 5 (a catantastic birthday party). After the fight they had with McCallister, it has taken Akko a while to be her usual self. Nevertheless, a ball will make Diakko question their bond.

Notes:

I'm back! With finals and getting a summer internship, I haven't had time at all to write. This will be a two-part mini story! Thank you all for the constant comments and kudos! They're really appreciated.

* * *

"I was not expecting an invitation." Croix says while grabbing an envelope from Diana Cavendish herself. "Neither for it to be personally delivered by the hostess of the event. How did you find me?"

Diana smiles politely.

"As the new head of the Cavendish family, it is not difficult for me to ask a favor to the Ministry regarding the current address of one of my former professors." she chuckles.

Croix smiles knowingly.

"Of course. You challenged Daryl and defeated her." Croix reminisces. "Are you ready for all the responsibility that will come from said decision?"

"I have to be." the blonde says firmly. "Challenging my aunt in order to keep the integrity of our family wasn't a difficult decision to make."

"Then I wish you luck." the inventor tells her honestly. "Specially now that you'll have to organize your first ball. Without the aid of your aunt."

"It shouldn't be much of an issue." Diana replies simply. "Not after successfully organizing the Samhain Festival."

"Indeed." Croix smirks. "Those old witches at Luna Nova have gotten quite lazy."

Diana nods in agreement because it was the truth. Were it not for Professor Ursula and her then nothing would get done.

"Still I wonder, why are you inviting me to the ball? You must know that my family and I are not on the friendliest of terms."

"True, but you _are_ my friend. And Akko's."

This makes Croix smile softly at the girl.

"Thank you Diana." she says honestly. "For trusting me and for inviting me to the ball. Alas, I don't think I'll be able to attend. The Ministry is not exactly known for its tolerance and flexibility with their paroled witches."

"I understand." Diana tells her softly. "To be quite honest, I already knew you would not be able to attend."

Croix chuckles.

"Yet here you are..." the older woman says knowingly. "What do you need?"

"Advice."

"Me, give you advice? Certainly my current situation shows that I should be the person you should least seek advice from. Surely Char can help you better than I can."

"In this case not really." Diana says solemnly. "Because the advice I am seeking from you has to do with an aspect of life we share in common, Miss Meridies." she finishes and the use of her last name makes Croix understand that Diana was asking for her counsel in regards to an olde family issue.

And certainly, Croix knew quite a bit about those types of events since she herself was part of an olde family.

"Does it have to do with the invitation you're handing me?" Croix guesses. "Because we both know that if you've just started handing these then that means you have just enough time to organize the ball."

Diana nods in confirmation.

"The timing does not concern me. I know everything will be ready before the end of the week." the blonde says confidently. "What I've come to ask you has to do with a decision I've taken in regards to the night of the ball itself."

"Oh really?" Croix is intrigued. "Well, tell me what you plan to do."

"I have decided to ask Akko to come to the ball with me as my official date." she says without pretenses and Croix can't stop herself from opening her eyes in shock.

That, she was not expecting.

"Are you sure that's wise to do?" she recovers. "Because once you do this, there's no going back."

Diana nods determined.

"I have thought about this ever since I got the letter from back home reminding me about my responsibilities as the new head of the Cavendish family." she admits to the older witch. "And I know very well what inviting Akko as my date will mean to them. To everyone."

"Then why still go through it?" she can't stop herself from wondering. "You two are so young. No one is pressuring you and you have time."

"I can't explain it." Diana confesses shyly. "I just have this feeling that asking Akko is what I am supposed to do. I know that we have time. Yet, I still want to ask her to come. Because I need her there with me."

"That sounds quite selfish of you." Croix says honestly and sees the way this makes Diana react.

 _She already knows this_... the inventor thinks while staring at the younger woman standing in front of her.

"It does sound selfish, doesn't it?" the blonde heiress chuckles bitterly. "I've recently noticed that when it comes to things that concern Akko, I'm quite selfish. Wanting her to be with me all the time, being the main reason she smiles, wanting to help her feel proud and happy… It is like I want my whole world to revolve around her."

Croix gives her an understanding smile.

"That's because you're in love."

"But don't get me wrong." Diana interrupts her passionately. "Akko's happiness will always come first to me. No matter what." she promises. "Which is why I feel I _need_ to ask her."

"As reassurance?" Croix wonders.

She knew that ever since the incident with Sarah McCallister at Luna Nova, Akko had not been feeling well. Her usual spark, what made Akko be Akko, had dulled and was taking time for her to recover.

Yet for Diana to consider doing this was still too extreme of a reassurance for the brunette witch.

It could even put on Akko more pressure.

"As a promise." Diana says instead. "I know very well how it will be seen if Akko comes to the ball as my date. What my level of commitment towards her will mean."

"And you still want to ask her."

"I still want to ask her." she agrees.

"But why Diana? Why do all of that? Akko is recovering well and she will get there."

"I know she will." Diana tells her obviously. "It is Akko we are talking about. I think you're misunderstanding my intentions. I'm not asking Akko to be my date for the ball with the belief that doing so will improve her confidence or help her heal. I know Akko can achieve all of that by herself."

"Then why are you asking her?" Croix is honestly confused.

Why go through all of this?

"I'm asking her because I love her." Diana smiles. "And because Akko is the only person I wish to be with." she finishes explaining to Croix.

"You're not here for my advice." the older witch realizes. "You're here because you wanted to see how I would react."

The heiress smiles apologetically.

"I _am_ here for advice." she chuckles. "Just not in regards to my decision to ask Akko to be my date. Instead, what I was hoping you would help me with was seating." she closes her eyes. "To be quite honest with you, it has been awhile since I've attended an olde family event."

"And you're scared of sitting together people that don't like each other." Croix surmises. "Well then, since it seems that no matter what you'll go ahead with your plan and ask Akko to the ball… Let's instead make things easier for you and fix the seating." she makes space for Diana to sit at the table and gets a thankful look from the blonde witch.

All Croix could do was hope she was making the right decision in not getting further involved.

LWALWALWALWA

"You want me to come to a party with you?" Akko asks a blushing Diana.

The blonde heiress can't help but chuckle at how simply Akko was describing an event that was currently making her feel very nervous.

After the brunette witch confessed her feelings to her, Diana had been determined in making Akko realize how much she cared for her. She knew that her girlfriend, although she didn't show it, tended to feel insecure about herself. Specially after her incident with McCallister, it had taken a while for Akko to act like herself and feel relaxed around Luna Nova.

Diana, of course, didn't blame her at all. Instead, she decided to do everything in her power to make Akko feel proud of herself. They practiced magic together, they went out to town and held hands.

In a way, Diana had started showing everyone that Akko and her were together.

Because Diana _was_ proud of her girlfriend and all she had gone through.

Still, the blonde heiress knew that what she was doing was not enough. That there was something else she needed to do in order to make Akko realize how serious Diana was about their relationship.

Because to Diana, it was pretty clear that Akko meant _everything_ to her.

And almost as if the universe had heard her wish, a letter from Anna had arrived asking for her immediate presence at the Cavendish Manor since she needed to take part of the preparations for the Cavendish Ball.

And she had completely forgotten about it!

Usually, Diana always prepared in advance for this party. It was paramount for a Cavendish to always participate in the event and this year she had gotten distracted and was currently panicking about being ready for it.

The Ball, which hadn't been a ball at first, was a tradition that started with Beatrix Cavendish, one of the olde nine witches and founders of Luna Nova. The event, which at the time helped the olde nine witches meet and plan the new lunar year, had slowly become an extravaganza where the most powerful and wealthy families of the magic community always made an appearance. Usually, the event was organized by the head of the Cavendish family, who had previously been her mom and aunt. And, when her mother died, her aunt Daryl had been in charge of it.

Yet, after Diana challenged her aunt for the leadership of the family and won said challenge, this year it was her responsibility to act as the hostess of the event.

And that scared her.

Not because she had to organize the event. She had already organized the Samhain Festival quite successfully and knew that this party could be done similarly. What was scaring her was what this party could do in helping her show Akko how serious she was about them.

Because this party could be the perfect opportunity for Diana to officially introduce Akko as her partner.

To show everyone in the magic community the intentions Diana Cavendish, head of the Cavendish family, had towards Atsuko Kagari, Luna Nova student.

Nevertheless, she didn't know if Akko was ready for such a thing or if Akko would understand what this could mean for them. Specially because Akko had not been a part of the magic community until recently and still had to learn the customs and traditions of the olde families.

And, when the head of an olde family presented a partner to the magic community, it tended to mean that said head was serious about said person.

Serious as in marriage serious.

And Diana had still asked Akko to come.

"Well, it is not exactly a party." Diana tells her warmly. "But a ball. Similar to the event Andrew had for his birthday."

"I see. Will you be inviting the rest of girls?" the brunette asks her.

"Yes, they are my friends and I wish for them to be there." the blonde says confused.

 _Why wasn't Akko more excited about this?_

 _Does this mean that she doesn't want to come?_

"And, will I be going as your friend?" Akko whispers and Diana finally understands.

Akko wasn't sure in what capacity Diana was inviting her to the party.

"You will be coming as my date." she tells her girlfriend confidently and this makes the Japanese witch look up immediately.

"As your date?" she asks surprised. "But, from what you just told me this is a very important event for you and your family."

"It is." Diana reiterates. "The Cavendish Ball is the one event where my family has the opportunity to show the rest of the magic community that the legacy of Beatrix is an important one."

"Then if that's the case, are you sure that it's wise for me to go as your date?" Akko whispers.

This makes Diana get closer to the brunette and hold her cheek tenderly.

"Of course I'm sure." she smiles and kisses Akko's lips softy.

"But what if I screw up? What if I make you look bad?"

"You are my girlfriend, Akko, and I will never be or feel ashamed of you. I'm crazy about you." Diana tells her without hesitation and notices Akko believing her. "But before you tell me your answer, I want you to understand what going with me to the event will mean to the rest of people that attend."

Akko nods and waits for her to explain.

Diana takes a deep breath and hopes for the best.

"Since I am the head of the Cavendish family, the Cavendish state and traditions are all under my control. My aunt and her children, though they are Cavendish as I am, must obey my rules and do not have a claim to the family fortune until I die and I have left no heir behind."

Akko nods in understanding.

"Because of this, heads of families are very careful when it comes to dating. It's not uncommon for them to do so, but when it comes to formal events, if they're not serious about their partners then they tend to go alone." Diana stops to look at Akko and sees her completely focused on what she is saying. "Hence, if I were to attend this event, which will be my first as the head of the Cavendish family, with a date; it will send a message to the rest of the olde families. It will mean that I consider you a serious partner and will be a formal presentation of you as part of the Cavendish family." she finishes her explanation and waits for Akko to fully grasp what this means.

What it could mean to her and them.

"So, if I went with you to the ball, to the rest of people there it would look like I was your fiance?" Akko asks her and Diana smiles because it was typical Akko to oversimplify things.

"Yes, in a way it is similar to being engaged to each other."

"And you're still asking me to go with you." Akko states.

Diana nods and grabs Akko's hands.

"I… I don't want you to feel pressured because of this." she whispers embarrassed. "I know we're very young and we still have so many things to do." she continues saying. "But if there's one thing I'm sure of, is that my feelings for you will never change. I adore you Akko and in every scenario I've thought of, I always see you standing next to me."

Akko smiles and squeezes Diana's hands.

"Which I guess is why I'm asking you to be my date for the ball. You've been supporting me since before we became a couple and I want you to be with me when I take my role as head of the Cavendish family. It just doesn't feel right to be there without you." Diana murmurs and looks away from Akko because she's too afraid of seeing how Akko will respond to her request.

"Look at me Dia." Akko whispers and softly pulls her face up. "I love you." she tells her surely. "And it will be my honor to be your date for the ball." she promises her and Diana can't stop herself from squealing and hugging her girlfriend tight.

"Really?!" the blonde asks excitedly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure." Akko laughs when Diana squeezes her tighter. "You do know that this whole scenario feels like a proposal." she chuckles and Diana can't help but do the same.

"It does feel like one." Diana then smirks. "But believe me Akko, when I ask you to marry me, you will know."

"Oh really?" the brunette teases her and pulls Diana close to her. "That is quite forward of you, Miss Cavendish." she doesn't let her girlfriend say anything else and instead kisses her on the lips. "I like it." she whispers and again kisses Diana.

And Diana, of course, doesn't complain.

LWALWALWALWA

" _Metamorphie Faciesse!"_ Akko says and smiles when her spell successfully transforms a rat into a cat.

"Good job Akko!" Ursula tells her student happily and returns the mouse to its natural form. "You have improved your spell casting tremendously since we last had a lesson."

"Diana has been helping me practice." the Japanese witch explains to her mentor while sitting down on the grass. "I swear sometimes I don't understand what she sees in me."

"I bet she sees a very determined, kind and beautiful girl." the red-haired witch says confidently.

Akko blushes.

"Sensei, you can't say stuff like that out of nowhere!"

Ursula laughs.

"Then you better stop being so tough on yourself." she gets close to Akko and sits down with her. "But seriously, I'm really proud of you and all you have achieved."

"Thanks Sensei." Akko smiles softly. "None of it would have been possible without the help and support of my friends."

"Speaking of friends…" Ursula says knowingly. "How is Diana doing? Is she ready for the ball?"

The Cavendish Ball, Akko had learned very quickly, was _the_ most important event of the year and every witch in Luna Nova seemed to know about it. Besides, it also didn't hurt that all of Akko's friends had been invited to said ball.

Friends which included Ursula-Sensei.

"She is pretty confident about it." the Japanese witch chuckles. "You know Diana, she doesn't tend to get nervous about things like these."

Ursula laughs because she does know how Diana can be when it comes to organizing events.

The blonde witch had quite the talent for it.

"That does sound like her." Ursula agrees with her pupil. "She invited me."

"I know." Akko smirks.

"Of course you know." the red-haired woman replies teasingly. "To be honest with you, I was surprised when I got the invitation."

"Why? Diana cares about you and considers you a very dear friend. Scratch that, she considers you more than a friend."

"The feeling's mutual." she agrees immediately. "It's just that this type of events are pretty exclusive and witches like me don't tend to be invited to them."

"You are a great witch, Ursula-Sensei. One of the best there are." Akko tells her passionately.

Ursula smiles warmly.

"Thank you, Akko. But what I meant with my comment was that my type of magic is not seen as true magic in the magical community. It is considered an insult to true witchcraft and witches."

"Then they're wrong. And I know Diana agrees with me because we both grew up watching your shows and wanting to do the type of magic you do."

The red-haired woman huffs.

"I won't be able to change your mind about this, correct?"

"Correct." Akko smiles and squeezes her professor's hand assuredly. "If I'm not allowed to criticize myself then neither are you."

"Ok, ok, that sounds fair." Ursula gives up and silently waits for her pupil to continue the conversation.

She knew there was something the brunette wanted to tell her. It was the whole reason they had met tonight and had a lesson.

"Diana asked me to be her date for the Cavendish Ball." Akko tells her suddenly and this makes Ursula stare surprisingly at her favorite student.

Akko chuckles.

"She explained everything to me. What going with her as her date would mean to the rest of the magical community and how it would be seen. And even after knowing all of that, she still asked and I still said yes."

"Akko…" the red-haired woman doesn't know what to say.

She knew Akko and Diana loved each other. After everything they had gone through, it had not been surprising for her to learn that the two witches were dating. But, for Diana to ask Akko to be her date for the Cavendish Ball and for Akko to accept her invitation...

She didn't expect things between them to be that serious so quickly.

"I know I should feel scared of what going to the ball with Diana will mean." Akko says to her softly. "Of what going with Diana will say about us. But for some strange reason, I am not afraid."

"I didn't know things between you two were that serious." is the only thing Ursula can think of saying.

"Neither did we." the Japanese witch chuckles. "Trust me, the last thing I was expecting of coming to Luna Nova was to suddenly be seen as the future wife of Diana Cavendish." she takes a deep breath. "But then again, no matter how much I try to, I can't see a future without Diana in it."

Akko stands up from her spot next to Ursula.

"I don't know when I started to feel this way." she admits. "Perhaps it was when Diana tried to leave Luna Nova and I went to the Cavendish Manor to bring her back. Or maybe it was when she found me all alone near the fountain of Polaris and brought me back to Luna Nova." she smiles warmly. "But what I do know is that I love her and I want her to be happy. I want to support her and I want to be with her for as long as she'll have me."

Ursula simply stares at the young witch, surprised at the level of passion, commitment and love she could hear from her student.

"Or maybe I said yes just because I love her. I mean, it all comes back to me being crazy about her." Akko laughs heartily. "Because what I am about to do is pretty crazy."

"That's an understatement." Ursula can't stop herself from saying out-loud. "What you two are doing, it cannot be easily undone."

"And who says we will want it undone?" Akko asks simply and perhaps it was that comment what made the red-haired witch truly understand that the decision the two young witches were doing went beyond a simple school crush.

Something else was happening to them. A bond that was not solely based on normal feelings of love and lust. The depth with which the two young girls felt about each other, their understanding of each other and how it seemed like they were capable of doing strange magic when the other was in danger (with Diana facing 12 senior witches and Akko using magic without a wand); it was all making Ursula believe that magic was also a part of the equation.

And just like Akko had said to her, the former performer had an idea of what seemed to be the catalyst that brought the two young witches together. Ursula knew pretty well what it was because it had also been what had brought Croix and her together.

The Shiny Rod and the Grand Triskellion.

LWALWALWALWA

"Char?" Croix is surprised to see the red-haired woman standing outside her door. "What are you doing here?" she asks but then blushes because she had been really rude. "Not that I'm not happy about you being here…" she starts rambling.

After her conversation with Diana a couple of nights ago, Croix had been expecting a phone or video call from the red-haired woman. She knew the way Chariot would take the news when Akko told her about it and was not surprised about the brunette's apparent answer to go to the ball as Diana's date.

What was surprising was the fact that Chariot had come all the way to town to talk to her about.

 _Which means she must feel really worried_ … Croix thinks and stops her weird rambling when Chariot raises her hand.

"Croix." Ursula gives her a soft smile. "I understand." she promises. "And the reason I'm here unannounced is because I was hoping we could talk?"

"Of course, please come in!" she doesn't know how to greet Chariot because the last time they had seen each other they've had sex and then promised each other to talk once Croix was free to return to Luna Nova.

Which currently made things between them feel a little awkward.

Ursula, noticing how unsure and shy Croix was behaving, decided to take the initiative and got close to the lilac-haired woman, grabbing her hands softly and squeezing them.

"I have missed you." she confesses and kisses Croix on the lips tenderly, smiling when she feels the inventor relaxing.

"Me too." Croix admits and smiles thankfully. "I didn't know what to do. I mean, I know last time we did all that and then talked. But still…" she blushes.

"I know." Ursula soothes her. "I'm sorry I haven't been able visit. Things at Luna Nova have been quite hectic since the incident with McCallister and making reforms to prevent something similar from happening again."

"I understand." Croix closes the door behind them and takes Chariot to her small living room. "Please take a seat." she says while going to the kitchen to grab some coffee. "Luckily, I was making myself some coffee." she brings out two cups of steaming black coffee.

"Coffee sounds great." the red-haired says thankfully and takes a sip. "I swear your coffee is the best."

"Thank you, Char." she smiles and drinks a sip. "Since you're here, I want you to tell me how Akko is doing? Based on the talks we've had on the phone, she sounds happier."

"She is happier." Ursula assures her. "Slowly, but surely, she's regaining her confidence and her spell casting has tremendously improved. Similar to what happened with Diana, it seems like with practice, she will be capable of recovering all her magic."

"That's great news." the lilac-haired witch says honestly. "I know how worried you were feeling about that." she then takes a closer look at her friend. "But that is not the only reason you're here, right?"

"You know me really well." Ursula chuckles. "No, I came here because I need to ask you about the Shiny Rod."

"The Claiomh Solais?"

"I, I don't know how to explain this. But I think it has been affecting Akko and Diana."

"Affecting them in what way?" Croix asks seriously.

"Do you know what will happen in two days?" Ursula asks her instead.

"The Cavendish Ball?" she answers confused because that was the only thing that came to her mind.

Chariot was confusing her with her line of questioning. Still, she knew that the French witch was just giving herself time to fix her ideas.

Hence, Croix decided to answer her questions as they came.

"Were you invited?" the red-haired woman asks.

Croix nods in confirmation.

"I was." she smiles softly. "But since I'm on probation I won't be able to attend. Which now totally sucks because you were invited as well. We could have danced and been together."

Ursula chuckles and kisses her friend on the lips.

"We'll have more balls and parties to attend." she promises but then turns serious. "Akko will be going to the ball as Diana's date." she tells her friend and watches her reaction.

Which is not one of shock like she had expected it to be.

And, if Croix had been invited to the party a couple of days ago…

It matched with the day Diana asked for permission to leave Luna Nova for the day.

"You knew this already." Ursula says and the inventor nods in confirmation.

"Diana came to personally invite me to the ball a couple of days ago. She informed me of her intentions to ask Akko to attend the ball as her date. Seems like Akko accepted."

"And you're fine with this? Even with knowing what doing so entails? What it means?"

"Knowing Diana, I trust she explained everything to Akko when she was asking her to attend." Croix says and watches Chariot nod. "If that's the case, then who are we to question their decision?"

"It's not that simple." Ursula closes her eyes.

Croix huffs.

"Trust me, when Diana told me, I was just as surprised as you are. I wasn't expecting them to be so serious about each other so quickly. Then again, they have gone through so many things that normal couples will never have to."

"I'm aware. But then I started thinking about the way they grew closer, how it was all tied by the Shiny Rod. It wasn't until the two of them started working together on finding the seven words that they got along."

"Well, apart from that they had nothing else in common, Char." she doesn't know what Chariot is trying to tell her with all of this.

"I know." Ursula huffs. "But even then they were still friends. It wasn't until they used the Shiny Rod together that things changed. Not only in the sense of their relationship, but also in their capacity to use magic."

"I have been curious about _that_. " Croix agrees. "Technically, only the chosen one can use the Claiomh Solais. But in their case, the two of them were able to wield it at the same time." the inventor then correlates that with the rest of information she had gathered. "You think their bond has been affected by the Claiomh Solais?"

"It would explain the quickness with which it has evolved. It also explains how they're capable of doing extraordinary magic when the other is in danger."

"Perhaps… But even if that was the case, why are you scared? I thought you trusted the magic of the Claiomh Solais because it's good magic. Pure, non-corrupted magic."

"I am scared that this bond is unconsciously forcing them to do something they're not ready for. And of what it could make them do in the future. We don't know much about the Claiomh Solais and how it affects the witches that use it."

"Is it really unconscious?" Croix asks. "Because I don't think it is. I know those two spend most of their time together. Their relationship, and however they see it, hasn't started out of the blue."

"I know that." the red-haired performer agrees. "But their magic, and the Shiny Rod, that's also not a coincidence."

"Maybe it's not. But it isn't the main reason those two are together. And I think deep inside of you, you know this." Croix says softly. "Which makes me wonder why you're still reacting this way. Aren't you happy about them being together?"

"Of course I am! They're perfect for each other." Ursula says ashamed. "I just can't stop thinking the Shiny Rod has something to do in all of this. And…" she then closes her eyes. "And if it does, I don't want them to suffer the consequences."

"The consequences?"

"The consequences of blindly trusting the Shiny Rod."

And the moment Chariot says that is the moment Croix finally understands why the former performer was so afraid of the magic of the Claiomh Solais being involved in Diana and Akko's relationship.

"You're afraid they will end up like we did." Croix summarizes what Chariot is trying to tell her and notices the red-haired woman flinch.

"I... " Ursula stutters. "I don't want them to experience what we went through." she looks at Croix. "I don't want them to blindly trust the magic of the Shiny Rod and expect it to fix everything. Because we know firsthand that it's not that simple."

Croix gives her a sad smile.

"They are not like us." she says surely. "Perhaps they started the same way we did. Trust me, I see the similarities just like you do. But the main difference, and what it seems you have forgotten, is that I was never capable of using the Claiomh Solais."

"Huh?"

"I never used it, Char. And perhaps the fact that I was unable to meant that we still needed to grow before we could be together. To be quite honest, when you got the Claiomh Solais I was really jealous of you. From what you told me, Akko got it during the first day of class and she didn't have any friends at that time. Diana met her afterwards. That, to me, makes quite the difference."

"It… It does." Ursula agrees.

"Perhaps the Claiomh Solais learns from its past mistakes and realized that it needed to be with a witch right from the start of her magical training. Perhaps it understood that it needed to find a person that was completely new to magic in order to succeed. Someone who had no reason to but _truly_ believed in magic. Someone that would be capable of showing a witch like Diana the simple wonders of magic."

"Croix…"

"Like you, I have had time to think about the mistakes we did." she smiles sadly. "Yet, I've come to the conclusion that the reason why the seven words were found now was because it needed a relationship like the one Akko and Diana have. And in a way, because they succeeded, the Grand Triskellion rewarded them."

"A reward?"

"Unlimited and powerful magic to defend the person you love from any kind harm? That sounds like quite the reward for all the trouble those two had go through." Croix chuckles and sees that Chariot is finally getting what she's trying to say.

"So the magic hasn't been affecting them. The magic was given to them. It has been helping but not influencing them."

"That's the way I see it." the inventor shrugs. "I cannot be 100% sure without performing some tests on them, but from what I have seen, those two being together was just meant to happen. With or without special magic."


	26. The Ball Part II

Summary:

There is only one day left before the ball and Akko is panicking. Diana, meanwhile, is not deterred from presenting Akko as her date.

Notes:

For this chapter, I recommend you listen to this song while reading. It is the one I used for a specific scene and I think it fits quite well.

Joe Hisaishi: Asian Dream Song

The part where the song should start is in bold letters.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

* * *

After accepting Diana's invitation to go the ball, it had taken Akko almost a week to get prepared for it. Although she had sounded confident when Diana first invited her to the ball, the moment her girlfriend had to leave Luna Nova to prepare for the event, she realized she was way out of her depth.

In fact, she didn't know that the Cavendish Ball was such a big deal in the magic community. But, after Diana left Luna Nova, most of the people that had been invited to the ball had been excused from classes and allowed to return home to prepare for it. Hence; Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Jazminka, Constanze, Barbara and Hannah had been absent from school and were going to meet Diana, Ursula and her at the manor the night of the ball. And, with Diana back in the Cavendish Manor organizing the event, Akko was all by herself at Luna Nova, trying her best to get ready for the ball.

And quite honestly completely freaking out about it.

Hence, she had decided to call the only person that would listen to her and that didn't have anything else to do.

"Croix-Sensei what am I going to do?!" the Japanese witch continues freaking out. "I only have one more day before the ball and I don't know what to wear!" she exclaims worriedly while staring at herself in the mirror.

" _Akko, you need to take a deep breath_." the older witch tells her soothingly. " _I know Char gave you some dresses two days ago for you to try on. How about those_?"

Ursula-Sensei, although she had not left Luna Nova, was still busy taking care of grading papers and preparing her classes for the coming week. And, because Akko didn't want to be a bother, she had told the older woman that she was almost ready for the ball and only needed to borrow a dress for it.

Which was how she had been given by the red-haired witch a lot of gowns that ranged from different colors to different lengths.

And none of them had been the _right_ fit.

"She did." Akko confirms. "And they fit me just fine." she mutters. "But I don't know. When I wear them I just don't look like me."

 _"Hmmm…"_ Croix thinks. _"Would you like to come to my apartment and for us to go to town to find something? I'm sure that I can ask Luke to chaperone me."_

Luke was Croix's parole officer and a very nice guy. In fact, slowly the two of them had become friends and the man was very accommodating when it came to Croix having visitors at her apartment and going shopping to town.

Croix had certainly been quite lucky.

"Croix-Sensei…" Akko says thankfully. "You really don't have to. The dresses, they should work fine. I guess the reason I'm not a 100% convinced about them is because I'm letting my nerves get the best of me."

 _"I can understand that_." Croix promises. " _But the worst thing you can do is think about possible scenarios and events. Instead, just focus on looking and feeling good for tomorrow night."_

"Easy to say…" Akko murmurs. "I mean, I've never been to a ball, much less one from the magic community! What if I wear something wrong? What if it embarrasses Diana?!"

" _Diana would tell you that she's not embarrassed of being with you, Akko. Being seen with her, that's the whole point of being her date."_

"I know, I know. But still, I don't want to disappoint her." the brunette witch whispers and then hears someone knocking on her door.

"Croix-Sensei, someone is outside my dorm. I'll call you later." she tells the older woman and hangs up.

Surprised, since she knew that Ursula-Sensei was busy grading some papers, Akko goes towards the door of the dorm room but falls before getting it.

"Ouch…" she complains while looking at the roof. "So clumsy."

"I hope that wasn't the sound of you falling, Akko…" she hears a very familiar voice tease her and that makes the brunette witch stand up and go to the door even faster than before.

Opening the door, she can't help but shriek when she sees Diana standing outside her room, wearing a blue spring dress and a big box in her hands.

"Diana?!" Akko says happily while hugging her girlfriend tight, making her put the box down. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back at the manor making sure that everything is ready for the ball tomorrow night?"

"Can't I come see my girlfriend?" Diana teases again. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Akko quickly pulls the heiress towards the room and closes the door behind them, making sure of not stepping on any of the dresses and pieces of clothes she had on the floor.

"I'm sorry!" she apologizes immediately. "And I'm also sorry about the mess. This week has been a little hectic when it comes to deciding what to wear."

"I understand." the blonde witch agrees. "Although I am sorry to see that my invitation to the ball has left you so stressed and worried."

"Not at all!" Akko says and gets a knowing look from Diana. "Ok, perhaps it has been a little stressful. But not because I don't want to go." she clarifies quickly. "But because I don't want to disappoint you or make you look bad."

"Akko…" Diana gets close and hugs her tight. "Nothing you could ever do would make me feel ashamed of you. Nor would it disappoint me." she promises. "Besides, I'm confident that everything will work out splendidly at the ball. Whatever you decide to wear, you'll still look beautiful."

This makes Akko blush and hide her face in Diana's shoulder.

"Thank you." the Japanese witch whispers. "I really needed to hear that."

"You're welcome." Diana smiles and creates some space between them. "Now tell me, how have you been? Apart from a _little_ stressed out."

"It's been alright. Everyone left the day after you did in order to prepare for the ball. To be quite honest, I wasn't expecting the ball to be such a big thing. I think I only started to realize how big of a deal it is when all the girls went back home to get ready."

Diana chuckles.

"Well, the ball is once a year and only the elite of the magic community tend to be invited. I imagine the girls decided to go all out for the event and the school allowed them to leave because they would be representing Luna Nova as well."

"Yet I'm still here with nothing to wear." Akko mutters. "I'm so stupid."

"You are not." Diana says firmly. "No one expects you to know about these things, specially since you don't come from a magical family. Besides, that's why I'm here."

"I was wondering about that…" Akko admits. "I know you said that you would be fine organizing the ball all by yourself, but be honest… It hasn't been as easy as you thought it would be, right?"

Diana nods in confirmation.

"It has certainly been more stressful to organize this event than the Samhain Festival." she mutters. "Makes me wonder why my family has chosen to take this particular burden so enthusiastically."

Akko laughs.

"You Cavendish have some weird ways of complaining about work and defining what's fun." she says knowingly. "Remember how happy and elated you were about being chosen as the organizer of the Samhain Festival? Everyone could see it in your eyes that you were enjoying the responsibility."

"Perhaps." Diana has to agree. "Still, I wasn't expecting things to be quite as stressful as they have been."

"I wish I could have helped you with things…"

"Me too darling." Diana smiles. "Nevertheless, it's part of tradition that only the Cavendish take part in the organization of the event. Before, when there were many of us that wasn't an issue. But now..."

"Those weird magic rules and traditions." she mutters. "Makes me wonder even more what you're doing here. Specially when you seem to be busy."

"To be honest with you..." Diana starts to explain simply. "I'm here mostly because I've missed you very much."

This makes Akko blush.

"It has only been a week."

"I know… Still, that does not eliminate the fact that I've gotten used to having you next to me. And that apparently I can be a little selfish and leave Anna in charge for a couple of hours in order to come to Luna Nova to see you."

"Diana…" she murmurs embarrassed. "I have missed you a lot as well."

"Perhaps missed me enough to give me a kiss?" the blonde asks while getting closer.

"You know you don't have to ask." Akko promises her and closes the distance between them, grabbing the heiress firmly and kissing her on the lips. "Not when it's something that I want to do too."

Diana nibbles her lip and then separates, smiling warmly at her and squeezing her hands.

"Though I will admit that my visit is not only because I've missed you." she says and again grabs the box. "But to also give you something."

"Give me something? Why?" Akko asks surprised.

"Do I need to have a reason to give a gift to my girlfriend?" Diana teases and watches Akko's face as she's opening the box.

"Diana…" the brunette whispers while taking out a red kimono. "How… How did you find this?"

"A lot of research and somehow guessing your measurements. After that, I asked a tailor if they could make it and have it ready before the ball."

"But kimonos take a while to make… I only just told you last week that I would be going to the ball."

"I know… I happened to order it way before the ball." she admits. "And from what I can see…" she points at the floor. "It seems like it was the right time to give it to you. Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Akko promises. "Still, how did you know I wasn't finding something to wear?"

"I may have heard from two little birds that you were experiencing some difficulties with selecting a gown for the evening."

 _Those two_ … Akko thinks fondly and starts caressing the kimono, feeling the soft silk of it.

"This kimono is really beautiful Diana. Thank you."

"I remembered you telling me about some of your traditions in Japan. About how you wear kimonos and yukatas to festivals and formal events. And, I also remembered you mentioned how awkward it was for you when you had to wear that dress for Andrew's party. That you just weren't used to using that kind of attire at formal events." Diana continues explaining and Akko can't help but feel butterflies in her stomach. "I hope it wasn't wrong of me to assume that you would like to wear a kimono. Because if that's not the case then we can go to town and buy something…" she is not allowed to finish because Akko kisses her on the lips.

"I…" Akko says between kisses. "Love… You." the brunette promises. "It will be an honor to wear this kimono."

"Great." Diana says to her with a warm smile. "With that being solved, how would you feel about coming back with me to the manor?"

"Right now?"

"Why not? We're done with classes and that way we could spend tomorrow morning together. I could even show you around."

"Don't you have a lot to do?" Akko asks hesitantly.

"Not anymore. Tomorrow is all about making sure that everything is on track and then host the event. And I was hoping you would like to join me. As I said earlier, being away from you is just too tough."

Staring at the hopeful expression her girlfriend had on her face, Akko knew that there was no way she would deny Diana anything. Not only because doing so would make the blonde witch be unhappy, but also because making Diana happy made Akko happy.

It was that simple.

"You know that I would love to go with you to the manor, Diana." Akko promises and can see the heiress smiling brightly after hearing that. "Though before we can leave I'll need some help fixing this mess." she adds hopefully.

Diana rolls her eyes.

"Alright, I'll help you." she offers and decides to tease. "But only because you're letting me abduct you."

"I would let you do anything you wish to me, Dia." Akko says and watches how her comment makes Diana blush brightly.

So worth it.

LWALWALWA

No matter how many times Akko went through the same scenery, she still couldn't stop herself from smiling and pointing to all the flowers and trees around the Cavendish Manor. The first time she visited, she didn't exactly have the time to explore Diana's home or its surroundings (she was worried about saving Diana from magic snakes and bringing her back to Luna Nova). But, now that she was back, she could appreciate and understand why her girlfriend loved and fought for her home so hard.

The Cavendish Manor was beautiful.

Although Akko had only been in London and then Luna Nova, she knew that it wouldn't take much for her to fall in love with England's countryside. The people, the animals, the flowers, the air; it all felt and smelled differently than in the city.

After making sure that everything was picked up from her dorm, and waiting while Diana had some words with Principal Holbrook, the two of them had gotten on Diana's car and started heading to the manor. The event, which was very similar to that time the two witches had returned to Luna Nova from Diana's home, was making Akko reminiscence about everything Diana and her had gone through to get to this point.

Turning around to look at her girlfriend, the Japanese girl can't help but smile softly, moving her hand to grasp Diana's.

Which in turn makes the blonde witch look curiously at her.

"Is something wrong?" Diana asks her.

Akko smiles while squeezing her hand assuredly.

"Nothing's wrong, Dia." she promises her. "I was just remembering the first time I came to the manor."

Diana chuckles.

"One of the main reasons I was nervous about asking you to join me last night." she admits to Akko who seems surprised. "Was because of your experience at the Cavendish Manor."

"Really?" the brunette asks surprised.

"I was afraid you would turn me down." she further explains. "Not that I would have blamed you for it." she mutters.

"Why would I even do that?"

"Well, it's not like you had the best experience the first time you came to my house." Diana mutters.

Akko laughs because having to fight Diana's aunt and cousins to prevent them from selling the Cavendish Manor and its possessions was certainly something. Then again, it wouldn't be normal for them to have an event without any kind of weird or magical mishap.

"That's one way to put it." the brunette agrees. "But what we're doing now…" she points to the fields and then to their linked hands. "Will certainly change my perception of your home Dia. Besides, I can already see why you care so much: It's beautiful."

Diana smiles brightly.

"I never thought…" the heiress confesses. "That I would ever find someone who truly understood me. I am used to the spotlight. To having people praise and admire me non-stop and to also criticize me behind my back."

"Diana…"

"Which has made it hard for me to trust people. Yet you somehow made your way through all the walls I had built around my heart and here we are a couple of hours away from the ball. A ball in which I will introduce you as my significant other."

"Are you starting to regret this?" Akko asks softly. "Because you don't have to do this, Dia."

"But I want to." Diana says firmly. "I'm tired of being afraid, Akko. I want to be able to hands with you in public. To kiss you on the street without having to look over my shoulder. I just want to be with you."

"I want that too, Diana." the Japanese girl promises her. "It's one of the reasons I'm here."

"It's not the main one?"

Akko chuckles.

"My main reason is quite simple." she blushes. "You should already know it." she whispers and looks away from Diana, who smiles brightly.

"Perhaps this time I don't. I mean, there are so many reasons you would wish to come to the ball."

Akko groans.

"Dianaaaa. Will you really make me say it?"

Diana nods.

"I'm here because I want you to be happy." Akko confesses. "And if that will happen with me coming to the ball then of course I'll be here."

This makes Diana hug Akko tight.

"But seriously, I think that even right after we confessed our feelings to each other, I knew that I would follow you anywhere, Diana." the brunette admits and gets hugged tighter.

"I feel the same way." Diana promises her vehemently. "I really love you, Akko."

"I love you too." Akko says and kisses her girlfriend tenderly on the lips, smiling in the middle of the kiss when she hears a familiar voice calling their names.

"Miss Diana…" Anna tells them from the front of the car. "Forgive me for interrupting you…" she adds non apologetically. "But we're already here."

"Really?" Diana asks bemusedly. "The ride went by way faster than what I expected."

Anna chuckles knowingly.

"Now Miss, even though there is no longer much to do before the ball, I think it would be prudent to return to the manor right after two in the afternoon so the two of you can prepare."

"Anna's right." the blonde says to her girlfriend. "Besides, I have quite the schedule planned for us, darling."

"You do?" Akko asks worriedly.

"Oh yes." Diana smirks. "Which starts with me teaching you how to horseback ride."

"WHAAAT?"

"Come on, Akko don't be scared." the heiress grabs Akko's hand and pulls her inside the cottage, the brunette witch quickly noticing two horses eating hay.

"So we're going to be on top of those two?" Akko gulps when she notices how big the two animals are.

"That's usually the way it is." Diana says happily while grabbing a carrot from a bucket and offering it to the horse, who sniffs it and then eats the vegetable.

"I, I'm not sure I'll be able to do it."

"Nonsense! It's very similar to riding a broom."

"Perhaps…" Anna adds from behind them. "For Miss Kagari's first lesson it would be more beneficial for her to ride with you, Miss Diana?"

This makes Diana and Akko stare curiously at the older woman.

While Anna had not explicitly rejected Akko's presence in the manor, she had also not said much about Diana's decision to ask Akko to the ball as her date. Hence, the blonde witch had assumed that her caretaker silently disapproved of her choice yet knew nothing she said would change her mind about it.

So to see her actively putting them close was surprising.

And something that Anna also noticed.

"No one apart from the staff will see you" Anna adds to reassure them, assuming they were surprised that she was suggesting them to be close in public.

"It's not that…" Akko says softly. "To be quite honest with you, I wasn't expecting you to accept me." she adds. "I thought that the moment Diana was alone you would tell her that what she was doing was a bad idea."

"Well, it's not like I specifically approve of her decision to do this now. " she emphasizes. "But that does not mean that I disapprove of Miss Diana's choice of partner."

"You don't?" Diana's the one that asks this.

"Of course not!" Anna tells her vehemently. "Only a fool wouldn't be able to see how much you two love each other. And how good being with each other has been for the two of you. I may not have been welcoming the first time Miss Kagari came to the manor; but when she risked her life to save and help you… I knew that she cared for you. And to me, that makes Miss Kagari be worthy of being with you." she finishes and yelps in surprise when she feels the two witches hugging her tight.

"Thank you." Akko says softly. "Your approval means a lot to me. To us. Specially because I know how much Diana loves you."

Nodding in agreement, Diana doesn't say anything but instead squeezes the older woman tighter, wanting her to know how much her words meant to her.

"Of course." Anna smiles warmly and clears her throat. "Well then, I believe we have spent enough time in sentimentality." she chuckles. "Instead, how about you two go ahead and see the manor. Many changes have been done since the last time you visited, Miss Kagari."

This makes Akko smile brightly and pull Diana towards one of the horses, which in turn makes Diana chuckle.

"I thought you were scared of riding one." Diana says while using her magic to move Akko up, only letting go of her spell when the brunette is in position on top of the horse.

Next, the blonde witch uses her strength to sit herself behind Akko, hugging her tight and taking the reins from her hands.

"I am scared." Akko admits while turning around to look at her. "But I know that with you by my side I'll be safe." she whispers and Diana kisses her soundly on the lips.

"Always." she promises and with one last look at Anna, the blonde witch makes the horse move forward, making sure of always holding Akko close.

LWALWALWA

"Akko?" the red-haired witch asks hesitantly while going through the many different rooms in the Cavendish Manor.

 _I should have asked them to take me to Akko's room_ … Ursula thinks while doing her best to not get lost.

After she got told by Principal Holbrook that Diana had gone to Luna Nova to pick Akko up, the red-haired woman had taken advantage of her free afternoon and had decided to spend the night at Croix's place, hoping to spend some alone time with her girlfriend.

Which had made her be late for today's ride to the Cavendish Manor and hence get lost in this building.

Groaning at her lack of attention and at Croix's excellent abilities to turn off the alarm clocks of her place, Ursula continues to walk around the manor, hoping that at some point she would run into a member of staff that could direct her to Akko's room.

The reason why she was trying to talk to Akko before the ball was to see how she was holding up and explain to her a little bit more about what would happen. Although Croix had promised her that Akko would be ready and that Diana was going to explain everything to her, Ursula still wanted to have some words with her favorite student. Specially because she knew Akko and she understood how the Japanese witch functioned: It wasn't until the very very last moment that the brunette became nervous and Ursula was hoping to help her ease her nerves.

"Professor Ursula!" she hears her name being called and turns around to see Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Jazminka, Constanze, Barbara and Hannah walking towards her. "You look nice."

"Thank you girls." she smiles at them because she was quite proud of the dress she was wearing tonight (Croix had vehemently approved of it). "You also look very beautiful."

"Thank you." Lotte says embarrassed. "We were worried when you didn't meet us earlier."

"I apologize." the red-haired witch explains embarrassed. "But I overslept and had to come by myself to the manor. Luckily, I happened to run into you."

"You overslept?" Sucy asks her with a knowing look. "I wonder what made you become so exhausted."

"It's none of your business Miss Manbavaran." she smiles darkly and watches the pink-haired witch nod proudly. "Now girls, where is it that you're headed?"

"To our seats?" Lotte says confused. "We were hoping to see Akko before the ball started but got told that it's almost time and that we should go to our table."

"Oh, it's that late already?" Ursula says disappointed. "I was also hoping I could talk to her."

"Seriously, these weird traditions are so annoying." Amanda mutters. "In my country, introducing a witch's partner is not made into such a big deal. You just go with your date and then people talk and that's it."

"European witches, specially the ones that are directly involved to the Nine Olde are held to different standards." Hannah explains simply. "We know how annoyed Diana has always been with all of this."

"Yeah, she has never agreed with all the flair and dramatics of these balls and parties." Barbara adds. "Which makes this all be quite ironic."

"You tell me." Sucy smirks. "Let's just hope that Akko doesn't do anything to make the party become more 'lively' than what it should be."

"Don't jinx it Sucy!" Lotte huffs. "You promised you wouldn't."

"But it's Akko we're talking about." Sucy defends. "It would be weird if something didn't happen."

 _"She's right about that."_ Constanze writes on her notepad.

"Anyway, how about we all go sit down and wait until the evening starts." Ursula murmurs when she notices people were watching them intently.

"That has been annoying as well." Amanda tells her knowingly. "Getting stared at by all these people… Hope it doesn't make Akko panic." she adds and can see that everyone in their group was thinking the same thing.

"Knowing Akko…" Lotte remains positive. "I'm sure she'll give everyone something to talk about."

"Damn right!" the American witch exclaims proudly and earning them more looks from the people around them.

"Perhaps I'll try to find Akko…" Ursula murmurs because seeing all the people that were attending today's ball was making her panic a little and feel worried about Akko.

"Excuse me…" they hear a butler tell them formally. "I will please ask you to take a seat at your table because the ball will be starting shortly."

"But…" the red-haired witch says.

"I am afraid I will have to insist, ma'am." he says apologetically while walking them to their table.

"Wow…" Ursula hears the girls whisper behind them and she can't help but think the same thing.

The ballroom, for the occasion, had been turned into quite the spectacle. There were ice sculptures around the room, each one representing a head of the Cavendish family. There were also paintings and images of the Cavendish clan, including their official guardian, an unicorn, proudly standing near the end of the hall. The light, which was of light white tones, gave the right amount of illumination to allow people to roam freely around the room.

Everything made them remember of Diana and her taste and style.

"This room screams 'Diana'." Amanda says and all of them nod in agreement.

"Miss Cavendish chose the theme, the colors and performed the spells that are preserving the scultures." the butler informs them proudly. "She has outdone herself."

"That's right, you've been working at the manor for quite a while." Barbara remembers him from her visits.

"Indeed. It's quite nice to see you Miss."

"If you know them…" Lotte says hopefully. "Perhaps you could let one of us go see Akko? She's our friend and she was also invited to the ball."

"We know who Miss Akko is." he chuckles. "And let me reassure you that she's doing well. I saw Miss Akko earlier and she looks spectacular." he gives them a knowing smile. "Miss Diana will get quite the surprise, if I may say so."

"Really?" Ursula asks hopefully. "She's not nervous?"

"She is. She wouldn't be human if she wasn't." he tells her softly. "But, she also knows that Miss Diana will be quite nervous herself and that has given her the courage she needs."

 _That sounds like Akko alright_ … Ursula thinks happily.

"Thank you." she tells him when they find their table. "Hearing you say this certainly makes me feel better."

"We all care about Miss Diana and Miss Akko's happiness. We want them to succeed at this ball just as much as you do." he promises. "Now, if you'll excuse me." he smiles one last time and leaves them alone.

"Wow…" Lotte says from behind her. "I didn't know Akko had made that kind of impression on them."

"They have worked for Diana's family for years." Hannah tells them. "I assume that when Akko helped Diana save the house and brought her back to Luna Nova she gained their favor."

"Akko and her little daily miracles." Sucy says fondly and sits down. "Guess today we'll have to expect one as well."

"You mean you didn't want one?" Jazminka asks confused.

"I wanted a little rebellion." she explains herself. "But seeing Akko leave all of these fancy people speechless will also suffice."

"Oh yes." Amanda smirks. "That I like." she sits as well and the rest of the green team follows her lead.

Lotte and Ursula simply look at each other, nodding in agreement and determining that now there was nothing else for them to do except be there to support the two witches.

"We also want Akko to succeed." Barbara says and Hannah nods in agreement. "And knowing Akko, we're confident she'll do so." they smile at the group and also take their seat, just before the lights are turned off and a hostess comes out to the dance floor.

The Cavendish Ball was just about to begin.

LWALWALWA

 _I can do this…_ Akko thinks while adjusting her kimono.

 _I can do this_! she takes a look in the mirror and makes sure that her hair is tied the way she wants it to.

 _I CAN DO THIS!_ she checks her makeup one last time and applies a little bit of blush on her cheeks.

"I will do this." she whispers to herself while closing her eyes. "But what if I embarrass her? What if I do something wrong and mess everything up like I tend to do?"

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Akko tries her best to not bring herself down. She was here for a reason and that was to support Diana. Who, despite knowing her propensity to place herself in chaotic situations, still wanted her to be her date for the ball.

And if Diana wanted her, then who was Akko to deny her?

Determined, she nods once before hearing the door of her room opening.

"Can I come in?" she notices Anna standing outside with a warm smile on her face.

"Sure." she says and watches the older woman staring at her appreciatively.

At least Anna seemed to like the dress.

"Miss Akko…" she tells her softly. "It's almost time."

"Right." the brunette takes a deep breath and follows Anna outside, watching the many maids and workers at the manor give her encouraging smiles and nods.

"It's so embarrassing that they're all looking." she whispers to Anna who chuckles.

"Well can you blame them? You look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you Anna." Akko murmurs. "I don't tend to get all dressed up."

"It suits you." the older woman replies. "I'm sure that the moment Diana sees you she won't be able to take her eyes off you."

Akko blushes brightly.

"I'm pretty sure that I'll be the one that won't be able to look away. She never showed me what she planned to wear." she huffs. "In fact, she only told me that it would match my dress and that it would make it obvious that we coordinated our clothes."

"That sounds like something Miss Diana would say." Anna chuckles. "Always liking to make big impressions."

"Her just walking into a room already makes an impression." Akko murmurs and this makes Anna laugh.

"I'm happy she has someone like you in her life, Akko." Anna says suddenly and this makes Akko stare at her. "I was worried she wouldn't be able to find someone she truly loved. That she would marry out of duty and honor. I raised her and watched her become the woman she is today. And I'm proud. I'm proud to see that she's following her dreams and doing her best to keep her mother's legacy."

"Anna…" Akko whispers.

"So you just keep being your usual self and remind her that life is not only about duty and responsibilities. Make her have fun and get her to do all the silly things teenagers and young people in love do. Please, help her be happy."

"I will." the Japanese witch promises vehemently. "I give you my word."

"Good." Anna smiles and points to a big door. "The moment you hear your name being called you'll step out. Now, I know Diana explained to you how she was going to give a speech to welcome the guests to the party and then inform them that she has a date."

"She has to do so because she's expected to do the first dance." Akko remembers. "And, if she would have come alone, then a person from one of the olde families could have asked her to dance."

"Indeed, but, since she has a date she will be the one asking you. And the moment she calls your name you'll step out and go towards her. After that, I'm sure the answers will come naturally to you." she smirks.

"You sneaky... " Akko mutters but stops talking when she hears Diana's name being called.

"I guess it's your turn Miss Akko." Anna jokes with her.

"Don't think I'll forget about this." the Japanese witch whispers to her but remains quiet when she hears that Diana has taken the microphone.

 _Guess it's showtime…_

LWALWALWA

 _I wonder how Akko is feeling_ … Diana thinks while watching the guests take a seat from her spot behind the curtain.

After spending the day with Akko, Diana had been reluctant to leave the brunette witch alone. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed her time with her girlfriend and it had taken Anna a lot of convincing to make her go to her room to get ready.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Diana knew that she looked good. She was using a very fitting blue dress that matched the color of her eyes precisely. Her hair, as it tended to be, was loose and had been highlighted by using a blue broch that had belonged to her mother.

"Diana…" she hears her name being called and turns around to see her aunt Daryl staring at her.

"Aunt Daryl." she acknowledges the older woman. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"Thank you for inviting me." she says carefully. "After everything that happened, I wasn't sure of whether I would receive an invitation."

"You are a Cavendish." Diana simply says. "No matter what went through between us, we're still family."

This makes Daryl look surprised.

"Although I made it seem like I was seeking your position as head of the family, in reality I never wanted it. At least not so soon." she confesses. "But when I returned to the manor and saw the state of our home." she closes her eyes. "I had to do something."

"I understand." Daryl replies. "I made many mistakes. And I almost destroyed our legacy." she admits. "But it was never done out of malice, Diana. I wanted you to know that."

"I do know that. You are my mother's sister." the heiress tells her. "And she always told me wonderful things about you, aunt Daryl. Surely, she didn't lie to me."

This makes Daryl give her a sad smile.

"My sister was too kind. Too good for this world." she closes her eyes. "I know she would be very proud of you."

"Thank you." Diana replies honestly. "I know that we still have much to talk about." she looks away for a couple of seconds. "But I hope that when we do talk, we'll be able to work together to help bring honor and recognition to our family name."

"I'm looking forward to it." Daryl says softly. "Though, and the reason I actually approached you, was because I saw your friends sitting at one of the tables. And there was no sign of the Kagari girl with them."

Diana stares at her aunt, knowing that she suspected. Her aunt had to be aware that she was on great terms with Akko and that the brunette had to be around the manor.

"She's waiting until I call her name to join me for the first dance." Diana admits and watches the way her aunt's eyes open in shock.

"I will not ask you whether you know what doing that means. Instead, I will ask you if you're sure about doing this. Because the moment you do, you'll be making her part of the Cavendish family." Daryl chuckles. "And right now not many people would want that."

"I explained everything to Akko and she's still here." Diana says with a warm smile. "Why? That's a question I also ask myself."

"The rest of the family will not approve. You know what the goal of the Cavendish is, Diana."

Diana nods.

"I'm aware. Yet, _I_ am the head of the family, aren't I?" she says determined and this makes Daryl chuckle.

"Indeed you are." the older woman turns around to see people going to their tables. "Well Diana, for both of your sakes, I hope everything turns out great for Akko and you."

"You do?" the blonde can't help to ask.

"You are my niece, Diana. Which means that if I cannot be the head of the Cavendish, then I want _you_ to be the head. Not those fake Cavendish." she murmurs. "Hence, you have my support."

"Thank you." Diana doesn't know what else to answer but before she can add something else she hears her name being called.

"I guess that's your cue." Daryl smirks. "I'll be in touch." she promises and softly pushes Diana out, making the blonde be seen by everyone in the room.

Making her best to act aloof and indifferent, Diana starts walking towards the hostess, making sure of noticing where people were seated and seeing that all of her friends were at their table. Staring at Professor Ursula, she can see that the older woman was worried.

 _She's not the only one…_ Diana thinks and finally reaches the center of the room, smiling in thanks to the hostess who was giving her the microphone.

Taking a deep breath, and knowing that once she welcomed the guests there was no coming back, Diana gives them her best smile.

I _t's showtime._

"Good evening." the blonde witch says while using her wand to dim the lights down and turn on the special effects she had prepared beforehand. "My name is Diana Cavendish and I want to welcome you to the Cavendish Ball." she moves her wand and rays of white and blue light appear, creating shapes of horses, witches and fireflies that start surrounding the hall.

Letting go of the spell, she can see that her introduction had captured the attention of everyone in the room, most of them now focused on her and her words.

"As head of the Cavendish family, it has always been one of my deepest wishes to host this party. As you may be aware, the event was started by Beatrix Cavendish, one of the nine olde witches and continues to be organized by a Cavendish. We, the Cavendish, take pride in our roots and our history. Hence, the theme for this ball is 'Legacy'." Diana moves around the room and creates shapes of the heads of the Cavendish family. "The legacy our family has given the magic community and the world. The legacy we, as the future of the Cavendish family, have to represent." she then creates a final explosion. "And the one that I, as new head of the family, promise to uphold and continue to improve." she finishes and makes her final spell activate, which was an image of Beatrix welcoming them all to the ball.

Staring at the sight of the witch, Diana hears clapping surround her, it coming from the many tables in the hall.

Smiling, and bowing, the blonde witch nods politely and takes another deep breath before going to the next part of the event, which was the first dance.

"Thank you, Miss Cavendish, for that splendid welcoming." the hostess tells her happily. "Now, as you all may know, the next part of the Cavendish Ball is the first dance. The dance itself comes from the time of Beatrix the Affectionate, who thought that having a small reprieve from the responsibilities of being the heads of families was healthy. Ever since then, the dance is started by the head of the Cavendish family, who with a partner dance and are then joined by the guests." the hostess stares at Diana. "As tradition says, the host of the night must ask the head of the family if they have a partner for the dance. Miss Cavendish, do you have a partner for the dance?"

This question makes the room fall completely silent, everyone's attention is on Diana and what she's going to say.

Ironically, this specific moment, which should have terrified Diana, was the time she had been the most relaxed since the ball started.

"I have a partner." she says confidently and immediately hears the murmurs starting. "And her name is Atsuko Kagari." she finishes and watches the doors of the lobby open, her attention going to that location just as quickly as the rest of people in the room.

Opening her eyes in complete shock, Diana is not ready for the way Akko looks. She knew that the kimono would fit her girlfriend splendidly, making sure of choosing the exact color that matched the brunette's eyes. But now that Akko was walking towards her, it was as if she had been bewitched just like the rest of people in the room.

Akko had her hair in a bun, her usual loose and messy brown locks being kept together by two Japanese pins which allowed everyone see the brunette's neck. Gulping at the sight of it, Diana then takes notice of the way the kimono had been wrapped with a purple silk bow.

It was magnificent.

But if she had to pick what her favorite thing about Akko's look was, then she had to choose the confidence with which her girlfriend was walking towards her. There was an elegance in the strides she took, the way her eyes were also solely focused on her and the intent with which Akko was heading straight to her arms.

Knowing that it was tradition for her date to get to her, Diana couldn't wait anymore and instead decided to close the distance between them, grabbing Akko's hand and kissing it lightly.

Akko, of course, blushes.

"You look beautiful." Diana whispers to her, which makes the brunette chuckle.

"Diana, have you seen yourself?" she then gets a little closer to her. "Because of you I almost tripped before entering the room." she admits and makes Diana laugh.

"Oh Akko…" she says warmly. "I love you."

Akko smiles at her.

"I love you too."

"And, I was wondering if you would give me the honor of joining me for the first dance."

"There's nothing else I would rather do." Akko replies honestly and puts her arms around Diana, letting the blonde guide her to the dance-floor.

( **Play track here)**

Once the two were in position, Diana nodded and the orchestra immediately started to play. And, similar to the dance they did months ago, it was as if the two of them had been made for each other. The music, which was flowing through them, was guiding Diana and Akko towards complete harmony.

Feeling Akko's hands on her, Diana kept moving them around the dance floor, the routine almost similar to the one they experienced months ago in the middle of the night. That time, they had danced as friends. But today, right now, Diana was dancing with the woman she loves. And, it was magical.

Feeling herself letting go, she can feel that Akko is also getting looser. And, after opening her eyes and getting a knowing look from her girlfriend, she has an idea of what she wants to do.

Knowing that there was no way she would be capable of refusing Akko, Diana merely gives her a warm smile and takes her wand out, watching Akko do the same thing.

Traditions be damned.

Pushing Akko away from her, Diana uses her magic to enhance her arms and legs. Akko, meanwhile starts producing fireflies and unicorns with hers. Nodding in confirmation, she watches the brunette witch dance towards her, her body moving in complete balance. Once Akko is close enough she jumps up and is caught by Diana, who uses her strength to keep Akko still. Smiling, she lowers her down and caresses her face, gesture that is met with a soft kiss on her wrist.

Whatever the people watching thought about this dance didn't matter to them. Right now, this dance, it was for them. A way to confirm to each other that this connection, this moment; was meant to happen.

Diana, knowing that the final part of the dance was coming, feels Akko separating from her and using her magic to surround herself with light. And the blonde witch, who is ready for her part, starts sprinting towards Akko, who gives her a warm smile and then catches her, the two of them exploding in a ray of lights and magic while sealing their promise to each other with a tender kiss on the lips.

One that was hidden to the rest of people by the blinding light.

And, just like their sign of affection had been hidden to the guests, there was also someone at the party watching the two Luna Nova witches intently.

Someone that had been waiting for her opportunity to get revenge.

* * *

Notes:

So I guess I lied? This will be a three-part story. Thanks again for all the support and reviews. Hearing your theories, suggestions and likes really makes my day.

Also, with the next chapter I will be uploading a chronological order of the Adventures of Akko Kagari... That way, you can re-read all the stories as they happened in the timeline (instead of jumping from one part to another).

Kudos,

tititenis!


	27. The Ball Part III

Diana and Akko have finished the first dance and are now ready to start the family greetings. Meanwhile, the rest of Luna Nova witches are doing their best to not get the attention of the other guests at the party.

* * *

 _I wonder how Akko is doing_ … Croix thinks while getting her ramen bowl out of the microwave.

"I mean, she sounded pretty nervous on the phone…" she mutters. "And it is Akko we're talking about… Who when nervous tends to become more clumsy."

 _Ok that was kinda mean._

"Damn it, if only Char had taken her phone with her." Croix pouts. "But no, she had to say that she wasn't going to because she knew I was going to call her too much asking for videos and pictures." she grumbles. "I mean, it's not like I can just go ahead and escap…" she stops talking as soon as she realizes something.

 _But I can escape! I am Croix Meridies, one of the greatest witches of the modern era!_

Chuckling, the lilac-haired witch starts moving around her place, picking some of her drones and machines, hoping they could help her document every single moment of tonight's ball; it wasn't every day that your adopted daughters got the equivalent of engaged in the magic community.

Rummaging through her closet, she finds the clothes that Chariot and her had bought together a couple of weeks ago (who had done so because she felt bad that Croix was helping her get a new dress for the ball she wasn't going to). Wanting to thank her girlfriend for her kind and considerate nature, Croix gets rapidly dressed. After making sure that she looked good, the inventor grabs Diana's invitation from her desk and puts it in her pocket, confirming one last time that she had everything she needed.

"Ok!" she says excitedly. "Seems like I'm ready to go!" she presses some buttons on her phone and a hologram of herself appears. "That should be enough to fool the people at the Ministry." she huffs and is ready to open the door when she hears someone knocking.

"Croix, I'm here." she peeps through the peephole and sees that Luke, her parole officer, is standing outside.

"Damn it, I forgot he was coming today." Croix groans and steps away from the door, looking around her in hopes of finding another way out.

"Croix… I can hear you stepping away from the door." Luke says bored. "Now come on, open up."

"Give me a second." she answers him and starts moving boxes away.

"What are you doing?" the parole officer asks suspiciously.

"Nothing!" Croix answers and pushes the final box away from the window. "Ok, now I need to open this" she mutters and the moment she opens the window she hears it crack.

"Croix?!" she hears Luke calling from outside her apartment. "What was that?!"

"I'm sorry Luke!" she screams while stepping on the window. "But I really can't stay here while Akko, Diana and Char are at the ball."

"Croix don't!" Luke screams and takes his wand out. " _Velga Veeda!_ " he blows the door up and watches Croix smiling cheekily at him. "Croix, get away from that window now!"

"Don't worry, I'll bring you some cake!" Croix promises and jumps on her drone, it immediately flying away from her apartment and a very angry looking Luke. "Make sure that they don't find out I'm gone! And fix my door!"

"I will kill that woman." Luke grumbles but goes ahead and starts doing everything Croix told him.

He was really whipped.

LWALWALWALWA

 _This_ … Diana thinks while feeling Akko's lips on top of hers… _is truly magical._

The music, the people around, the electricity and magic flowing between them; it was impossible for the heiress to not kiss her girlfriend. It was a desire, which she knew was reciprocated by Akko, to further cement their bond by sealing their new vow with a kiss. Because in a way, that was what had happened tonight: When Akko accepted her invitation to be her date, she made a vow to Diana.

And Diana was going to make sure that Akko knew how thankful she was about it.

Stepping away from Akko when she feels the magic between them dissipating, the blonde heiress sees the way her girlfriend still has her eyes closed.

Chuckling, Diana caresses Akko's cheek with her hand to get her attention.

"That was magical." she whispers and feels Akko nodding in return. "Thank you."

Akko opens her eyes and smiles brightly at her.

"Thank you for inviting me." she says. "Not just to the ball, but to your home. For opening the doors to your life and your heart."

"I want to share everything with you, Akko." Diana confesses. "I don't want to be alone anymore."

"You will never be." the brunette promises her. "Not as long as I'm breathing, Dia."

"I know." Diana smiles and finally separates the two of them, nevertheless, still holding Akko's hand tight.

"Dia…" Akko whispers after a while. "Everyone is looking at us."

"They're looking at you because you're breathtaking."

Akko laughs.

"You're such a charmer Dia." she notices her friends in a table and waves at them. "Wow, they all look very nice."

"Indeed." Diana replies and also waves at them before their attention is brought back to the festivities.

"Well!" the host finally says and the whispering around them stops. "Let us welcome our esteemed host and her date for the Cavendish Ball, Miss Diana Cavendish of the Cavendish Family and Atsuko Kagari." she finishes and the two Luna Nova witches hear people clapping around them.

"That…" Diana whispers to Akko while faking a smile. "Is the aristocracy's way to 'polite clap'."

"It's scary." the brunette adds because she can see that even though the people around them were clapping, their eyes were analyzing everything about them.

In a very obvious, criticizing way.

"Now, for the next part of the ball, you're all welcomed to come to the stage and dance to your heart's delight." the host explains to the public and the two witches see people finally looking away from them.

"Thank Jennifer." Akko whispers and then opens her eyes in surprise. "Wait, does that mean that we get to dance again?" Akko asks happily and Diana feels sad for not being able to please her girlfriend.

"I'm afraid we can't. You see, while the rest of people are dancing, the leaders of the nine-olde families will be paying their respects to me. And, because you're my date, it is expected of you to be with me."

"Oh…" she murmurs and notices the way Diana is thinking hard about something.

"You don't have to come with me if you don't want to." the blonde says immediately. "In fact, since you already saw where the rest of our friends are, how about you join them?"

"Diana, I have two questions that I want you to answer honestly." Akko asks determined.

"Ok."

"Number one, will it look bad if I'm not with you?" the brunette asks simply.

Diana nods because it would look bad. But, she would be able to manage it. It wouldn't be the end of the world.

"Number two; do you want me to be with you?"

"More than anything." she replies honestly. She wanted Akko by her side always.

"Then let's go. If we're done with this quickly then we can dance more and eat!" Akko chuckles and pulls Diana to the reception hall, making the blonde heiress smile fondly at the sight of her supportive girlfriend.

Akko was too good for her.

"Dia." the Japanese witch says after getting close to the reception hall. "I just remembered that I forgot to ask you about what I should do."

This makes Diana laugh loudly and get everyone's attention.

"Dianaaaa." Akko pouts. "Don't be mean. I'm really nervous about saying something wrong."

"I'm sorry." she apologizes while kissing Akko's cheek. "It was just that what you said was typical you, Akko." she looks around them. "Just stay by my side. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to because the only thing they're supposed to do is pay their respects. After that, it's the next person in line."

"Ok, I can do that."

"I know you'll do great!" the heiress says confidently and stands with Akko in place for the greetings to start. "I believe in you."

"Thanks Dia." Akko whispers and watches the first woman confidently approach them.

 _It's showtime!_

LWALWALWA

 _Akko looks beautiful…_ Ursula thinks while watching the brunette witch make her way towards Diana.

"Akko looks incredible." Amanda whispers and she nods in agreement.

"I knew she was beautiful." Lotte adds. "But that…"

"Diana is lucky." Sucy simply says and all the girls in the table agree.

"It's quite shocking to see that Akko can move so smoothly." Barbara follows the two Luna Nova witches with her eyes. "Specially because we have seen firsthand how clumsy Akko can be."

"But now she's dancing perfectly." Hannah finishes her friend's thought.

"They did dance together that Shiny Chariot dance." Amanda reminds them. "So it's not like Akko can't dance."

" _Yeah, but then they thought they were alone. This time they're dancing in front of everyone._ " Constanze writes on her notepad.

"Look, they're doing that dance again." Jasminka points to their two friends who have taken their performance positions.

"Now?" Hannah and Barbara ask at the same time.

"Why would that be a problem?" Sucy asks.

"It goes against tradition!" the redhead witch further explains.

"I think they've stopped worrying about that." Ursula whispers but knows all the girls heard her. "To them, this moment that we just witnessed, of Akko accepting Diana's invitation; meant so much more than publicly announcing their relationship. And right now, this dance they're doing, is their way of showing each other how much they love one another."

All the witches after that continue to stare at their two friends and stay silently mesmerized until the blinding light forces them to face away from the performance.

"It's incredible." Lotte says wishfully. "How much they care about each other."

"It really is." the professor smiles and starts clapping with the rest of people in the room. "That was truly something."

"It was beautiful." Sucy admits and gets shocked looks from all the people sitting at the table, Ursula included. "What? I can admit things like that as well." she huffs.

"Yeah, but you never say them." Amanda laughs and that gets them the attention of some of the other guests. "Well, now that those two are done with their dance, does that mean that the party is over?"

"Of course not!" Barbara exclaims. "The evening is just getting started."

"Now that Diana and Akko have opened the dancefloor, all the couples that wish to dance can do so."

"We could dance with them as well!" Lotte says happily but is rapidly corrected by Hannah.

"Unfortunately, while the guests are dancing, the host of the ball has to welcome the heads of the nine-olde families."

"And since Diana officially made Akko her companion, I'm assuming that she must be there as well?" Ursula asks.

"It wouldn't look good if she isn't." Barbara tells them seriously.

"But knowing Diana, if Akko were to ask her, she would let her come join us." Amanda can understand what Hannah and Barbara were trying to say.

"And since Akko will do anything to support Diana, most probably those two will greet the guests together." Sucy summarizes.

"Then what are we supposed to do?!" Amanda complains. "The main reasons we came to this party was to be with Akko and Diana."

"We could eat." Jazminka suggests.

" _We could have a robot dance battle against each other."_ Constanze adds.

"I don't think that would help Diana's position very much since everyone knows that we are her friends." Lotte murmurs.

"Or we could try to sneak around and hear what Akko and Diana are saying inside that room?" they all hear a familiar voice say from behind them.

Turning around, all the Luna Nova witches, including a blushing Ursula, can't stop themselves from admiring the beautiful woman standing in front of them.

 _It was a good idea that I got her to buy those clothes_ … Ursula thinks and blushes even more when Croix catches her staring and winks suggestively at her.

 _I will kill her._

"Professor Croix?!"

"Croix!" Ursula and the girls scream at the same time to the chuckling inventor.

"Surprise!" Croix tells them cheekily.

"Surprise?!" Ursula huffs. "Is that really the first thing you'll say to me?" she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I mean, what are you doing here?! How are you here?"

"Well…" the inventor starts to explain but is interrupted by Sucy.

"She ditched her parole officer." the witch says proudly. "Nice one Professor Croix."

"No, not nice." the former performer corrects them immediately. "Croix, you know better…"

"I know…" Croix pouts. "But I really didn't want to miss the ball! It's not everyday that I have my almost adopted daughters get the equivalent of engaged to each other!"

"I had no idea it was that serious!" Amanda says shocked. "Wow, are they even ready for something like that?"

"They seem to be." Lotte adds.

"We already went over all of that…" Croix interrupts them. "Right now what is important is finding a way to hear what they're saying inside the reception hall."

"You know we can't do that." Ursula says annoyed. "What we need to do is make sure you go back home before Luke gets here."

"Come on Char, don't be that way! I even dressed up for the ball!" she twirls and her cape goes along with her.

"She does look rather dashing." Lotte adds from behind her.

 _She really does…_ Ursula thinks and notices her girlfriend giving her a knowing smile.

She knows she can't take Croix back.

"Ok, fine you can stay." Ursula murmurs defeated.

"Yay!"

"That was really easy." Sucy adds. "Totally whipped."

"Manbavaran…" the red-haired woman threatens.

"Well, if she is staying…" Amanda smiles. "Then let's use her to find out what is happening behind those doors."

"Girls!" Ursula tries to say but notices all the witches follow Croix out of the ballroom. "Damn it…" she whispers and goes along with them.

Diana was going to kill them…

LWALWALWA

"Diana…" Akko whispers to her while grabbing her hand. "I know that this may not be the best time to ask you this, but I've always been curious about something."

This gets Diana's attention.

"Akko, you can ask me anything." the heiress tells her warmly. "I promise that I will always try to tell you the truth.."

"I've always been curious about the nine-olde families and from where they come from."

Diana smiles softly at her and gives the host a hand signal.

"What did you just do?" Akko asks curiously.

"I just gave us a couple of extra minutes so I can quickly explain to you the history of the olde families. As you know, the nine olde families come from the bloodline of the nine olde witches."

"I remember. Magic, even though it can be found everywhere in the world, was first explored and used in Europe. Which is why the nine olde witches come from that continent."

"Indeed. During that time, Europe was divided in kingdoms. Hence, the nine olde witches come from four kingdoms: England, France, Ireland and Spain."

"I see…" Akko mutters and Diana chuckles.

"This is history that is taught at Luna Nova to the senior students. It's ok if you don't know this, Akko. The folklore and myth behind the nine olde witches is a well kept secret in the magic community. I only know their names because I am the head of an olde family."

"You mean not many people know the identity of the nine olde witches?"

Diana nods.

"If you think about it, there are not many images of the nine olde witches together. You will only find them in their specific houses and families. Even in Principal Holbrook's office, the only thing she has of the nine-olde witches are their hats. And only because they founded Luna Nova together."

"That is interesting." Akko says fascinated. "Can you tell me their names?"

Diana chuckles.

"I did tell you that I would keep no secrets from you." the blonde promises and smirks when Akko blushes.

"Come on Dia, stop teasing me!" Akko pouts and Diana knows she can't resist that pout.

"Ok, ok, I will tell you." she promises. "Freya the Competitive, Beatrix the Compassionate and Ella the Adventurous are the founders of the Allerton, Cavendish and Adley family respectively. These three witches are originally from England. Then we have Saoirse the Gregarius and Woodward the Inventive. They established the McCallister and Brennan families that come from Ireland." she pauses and notices Akko flinch a little at the mention of the McCallister family.

Diana wanted to kill Sarah McCallister every time that happened.

"After that we have Jeanne the Inventive and Claudette the Passionate, who founded the Meridies and Dubois families in France." the blonde adds and is thankful that hearing about Professor Croix's family helps her get Akko's attention back.

"Croix-Sensei did mention to me that her family is part of the nine-olde families."

"She is not directly in line to become the head of the family because her mother is the youngest of three children. Hence, her probabilities of ever taking the lead are pretty null." Diana explains to her. "Still, I think she is quite happy about that."

"Croix-Sensei wouldn't do well in an environment like that one. She would suffocate. She did suffocate."

"Indeed." the british witch smiles kindly. "Finally, we have Teresa the Sincere and Isabel the Witty. They established the Garcia and Fernandez families in Spain."

"When you say established, does that mean then that the current heads of the olde families are from these countries as well?"

Diana nods.

"In the magic community, and to most magical families, blood is important. Royal blood, to them, is the blood of the nine olde families. Hence, the nine olde families have prioritized to stay in their countries of origin because their sphere of influence and power there is very powerful."

"I can see that." the Japanese witch whispers. "To be honest with you, before I got to really know you, I thought that you were cold and serious for no reason at all. But now, it all makes sense: It's a way to protect yourself from this environment."

Diana nods.

"It's not something many witches have to even think about." she tells Akko simply. "Not many people in the magic community are aware of the true power of the nine olde families. They don't know that they act from behind the scenes in every major political and economical event."

"That's scary."Akko says.

"There's still time for you to take what happened earlier back." Diana whispers kindly to her. "This, being with me, is no simple thing. I would understand if you wanted to return to Luna Nova and pretend this never happened."

"Never." the brunette witch vows. "I will never regret accepting your invitation, Diana Cavendish. I am afraid that you're stuck with me, forever."

Diana blushes.

"I wouldn't want anything else." she whispers and is going to add something more but watches one of the olde heads come to them.

"Now dear, surely you will not have us wait any longer, right?" a woman in her mid forties tells them formally.

"Of course not." Diana says politely. "I apologize if my actions disrespected you."

"They did not. Not when it was to spend some alone time with your partner." she says knowingly while staring at Akko. "Trust me dear, I can understand the need of wanting to spend every waking moment with the person you love."

Diana and Akko blush.

"You are not mistaken in that, Mrs. Allerton." Diana responds. "Nevertheless, let me apologize again for my rudeness and welcome you to the ball. I hope you've enjoyed the evening so far."

"It has been quite interesting." Mrs. Allerton chuckles. "Certainly, I was not expecting you to come already accompanied to your first ball. And so young."

"Akko is very dear to me." the blonde heiress explains simply. "Asking her to be my date for the ball was not a difficult decision to make."

Mrs. Allerton chuckles.

"I see. Diana, you remind me so much of your mother. You are just as passionate as she was." she smiles kindly. "A pleasant surprise."

"Thank you Mrs. Allerton." Diana now gives the older woman a honest smile. "I truly hope you continue to enjoy the ball."

"One always finds ways to entertain oneself in this sort of events." Mrs. Allerton chuckles and stares at Akko. "Young lady…" she tells her seriously. "I do hope you know what it is you're getting into by being in a relationship with a head of an olde family."

This makes Diana and Akko focus on the woman.

"Being in such a position, it certainly brings moments of difficulty and tension. Nevertheless, if surpassed, it can also be a rewarding and powerful place to be in." she smirks. "In order to survive, you will need to grow a backbone dear."

"I will do anything to protect Diana." Akko says confidently. "That is why I am here tonight."

Mrs. Allerton stares at Akko for a while and the brunette is thinking of what to say to apologize for her rudeness.

Yet before she can do that she hears Mrs. Allerton laughing and feels her squeezing her hands kindly.

"I like you dear. Diana, please do bring Akko with you next time you visit my estate." Mrs. Allerton says. "She is quite a delight."

"I will try to do so." Diana chuckles and the two younger girls watch the older woman leave.

"She was something." Akko says and the blonde heiress nods in agreement.

"Her name is Madeline Allerton. She wasn't originally part of an olde family but she married into the Allerton family. But because her husband died, she became the head of the Allerton family. I guess that's why she wanted to warn you about the responsibilities of being with a head of an olde-family."

"I thought she was going to be more resentful of our relationship." the Japanese girl murmurs.

"Well, she must know what it feels like to do what you just did, Akko. The conviction and bravery one must possess." Diana whispers proudly.

"You're going to make me blush."

"Oh, we certainly wouldn't want that, right?" she jokes and chuckles when Akko simply pouts. "I adore the way you pout."

"I know, that's why I do it." Akko says and smirks at Diana's shocked face. "Oh look, another head of family is coming." she adds with a knowing smile.

"This conversation is not over." Diana whispers to her and becomes all serious again. "Mrs. Brennan, how have you been?"

She was going to make Akko pay for her cheekiness.

LWALWALWA

 _"This is a bad idea._ " Constanze writes on her notepad and all the witches can't help but agree with her.

"You mean: This is a brilliant idea!" Croix smirks while placing the last couple of drones around the building.

"Well, nothing suspicious about some robots floating around the mansion." Amanda says sarcastically.

"They also look very menacing." Lotte adds. "Shouldn't they, you know, be smaller? Like for espionage?"

"Girls, girls, where are your critical thinking skills?" Croix huffs. "You seriously mean to tell me that you still haven't figured out my plan?"

"Is there really a plan?" Ursula asks condescendingly and this makes the Luna Nova girls chuckle.

"Char, char, you are not getting my point." the inventor explains exasperated. "If we pretend that nothing is wrong with the robots and just ignore them; then people will also believe that they are supposed to be a part of the festivities."

"Why would they ignore them? They look suspicious enough."

"They will ignore them because they will believe that they are meant to be there. Instead, if we try to put something small, then that will most probably be found because security will be expecting it."

"But then, using that same logic, wouldn't security also know that those droids haven't been scheduled to be there?" Sucy asks and this makes the inventor remain quiet.

She hadn't thought about that.

"Ok girls…" Ursula says amused. "I believe tonight's show is over…" she tries to get them all to leave the vicinity but then watches the way Croix's defeated stance changes to one of determination.

 _Oh no…_

"I, Croix Meridies, will discover what is being said behind those doors!" she vows and presses some buttons in her phone. "Thanks to my latest invention."

"Your latest invention?" Hannah asks fascinated.

"Indeed…" she takes out a small dot from her phone. "This is a spy dot. The dot, when placed on someone, will give me readings of their vital signs, their emotional state as well as allow us to hear what that person is hearing live."

" _How will it be able to hear when there is no microphone in the dot._ " Constanze asks honestly curious.

"Brain Waves." Croix smirks. "This dot can hear brain waves and soundwaves and hence reproduce what the person wearing it is hearing and saying." she finishes proudly.

"But how will we put the dot on a person that is inside the room when the doors are closed?" Amanda asks cheekily and this makes the inventor's smile disappear.

"Amanda is right." Ursula reproaches her girlfriend. "You, more than anyone, know that once those doors are closed it is nearly impossible to open them up."

"You're right." the lilac-haired woman murmurs.

"I am glad you can see that darling." the former performer starts saying relieved.

"But I know what types of circumstances would make them open those doors." Croix whispers conspiratorially and Ursula wants to just go home and crawl in her bed.

"That, to me, sounds like you want to create some chaos, Professor Croix." Sucy says amused.

"Not chaos." the inventor immediately corrects after getting a menacing look from her girlfriend. "Just a distraction that would force a waitress to inform Diana about it."

"Like a fire?" Barbara asks worriedly.

"No fires!" Ursula stops them from getting crazy ideas.

"No, no. This has to be something different. Something with a higher finesse." the pink-haired witch mutters to herself.

"Something that we wouldn't mind much but the people here would totally hate." Amanda adds and that's when Croix's eyes open up.

Everyone that saw her knew that she had just gotten another idea.

"I have the perfect idea." Croix says excitedly and Ursula knows that Diana will certainly kill them.

LWALWALWA

"Forgive me for being so direct…" Mr. Fernandez says while getting closer to them. "But I honestly wasn't expecting you to bring a date, Diana. And a woman at that."

"You have always suspected that I liked women, Oscar." Diana tells him simply.

"I mean, all those times we went out and you just didn't look interested at all…"

This makes Akko chuckle and earn the attention of the two family heads.

"Really, your gaydar is based on your looks and capacity to get women to look at you?" the Japanese witch explains and this makes Diana and Oscar just stare at each other before bursting into laughter.

"Ok, I will admit that did sound very vain." Oscar murmurs but then becomes serious. "But what I really wanted to say Diana was that what you did tonight was very brave. Even inspiring for others like you."

"Others like me?" Diana asks curiously and then realizes what Oscar is trying to say. "That man that accompanied you… The one that stayed behind for the greeting. He's not your bodyguard."

"He is not." Oscar confirms. "For us wizards, it is easier to make people believe that when we go accompanied to a party the person with us is our bodyguard." he whispers bitterly. "But seeing you both today…" he smiles warmly at the two witches. "Certainly gives me hope that things will start changing."

"Change starts with action." Akko tells him softly. "Trust me, I know how scary it can be to create change. But if we are not the ones that start it, then who will?" she smiles kindly. "Hopefully Diana and I gave you some courage tonight."

"You two did more than that." Oscar tells them happily. "And even though this is just a greeting, I wanted to officially invite you to Spain to visit the Fernandez family. It has been a long time since the Cavendish and Fernandez have had more than cordial relationships. Perhaps, now more than ever, it is time to change that, Diana."

Diana nods and grabs Oscar's hand.

"I thank you for your invitation and I am looking forward to visiting Spain yet again. This time though, with the company of my partner." Diana accepts the invitation and notices Akko blushing.

"Of course Miss Kagari is more than welcomed to join you." the wizard confirms. "Maybe we could even make it a double date event." he whispers conspiratorially and the three of them chuckle amicably.

"I am looking forward to it, Oscar." Akko smiles and waves to Oscar's bodyguard. "Maybe next time we'll get the chance for you to properly introduce us to your partner."

Oscar nods in agreement and smiles at them one more time before going back and leaving the two Luna Nova witches alone.

"I wasn't expecting him to accept so quickly that he is dating another man." the blonde heiress whispers to Akko while watching the two older men fall to the back of the room.

"Is it really that surprising?" Akko asks confused. "For there to be same-sex couples? I know it is in Japan." she further explains. "But I thought that Europe was more tolerant towards LGBTQ people."

"They are." Diana explains. "But remember Akko that this is not Europe we are talking about. We are talking about the magical community. And in here, the two main motivators for family unions are blood and progenity. To continue the family line."

"And technically same-sex couples can't have children."

"Now they can." the blonde witch simply says. "No Akko, do not get confused. The main reason behind some witches and wizards' objections to same-sex couples is bigotry. Old family members that are stuck in their old ways." she finishes bitterly.

"You feel very passionate about this." the Japanese witch chuckles. "Well, you are with me so I guess you must be. I don't think we ever talked much about it, but did you always know you liked women romantically?"

Diana nods.

"I was a very boyish girl while growing up. I loved horseback riding, hence I would always wear my riding clothes instead of dresses and skirts. My outfits when I am in the manor, as you have probably noticed, tend to be either pants or shorts with jackets and closed shoes. So you can imagine what many people said to my mother about me: 'Such a pretty face, all hidden and ruined because of those men's clothes'."

"You do look very dashing in them." Akko interrupts her girlfriend and smiles when Diana blushes. "It must have been very confusing for you to grow up in such an environment: Hearing people say that it wasn't ok to love people of the same sex and then experiencing these feelings…"

"This may sound false, but to be honest, I don't think I ever really cared about what people thought about me. My mother told me to never live for others but for myself. When she died, that was the moment I decided to really implement what she told me that day. In honor of her."

Akko kisses her softly on the cheek, making Diana blush even more.

"Well, I believe you are a very brave, strong and beautiful woman, Diana. And I am lucky to have you."

"I am the lucky one, Akko." Diana whispers lovingly and is going to add something more before watching Akko look away from her and freeze in complete shock.

Turning around to see what had made her girlfriend react in such a way, she feels herself getting angrier with each step that the three people in front of her were making towards them. Because, although she had specifically said in her invitation that only Mr. and Mrs. McCallister were invited to the ball, it seemed like they decided to ignore her wishes and chose to bring their daughter, Sarah, along to the party.

And the last thing Diana wanted was for Akko to have a panic attack.

Yet it seemed like this was going to happen very soon.

Focusing on her girlfriend, who had somehow composed herself from her scare, she got close to Akko in order to whisper.

"We can go." Diana tells her softly. "They are the last ones of the night. We can go."

"It would look bad if you leave, Diana." Akko tells her back.

"It will. And it may even lead to some repercussions later." the blonde admits. "But to me, you are more important than all of that, Akko. Just tell me the words and I will let everyone know that we are done with the greetings for the night." she finishes passionately and opens her eyes in shock when Akko kisses her directly on the lips.

"And I love you because of that." Akko tells her warmly after separating their lips. "But just like you have been brave all night long, it is now my turn to face her."

"You are not alone, Akko. I will be with you the whole time."

"I know." the brunette witch smiles at her. "In fact, that's why I am capable of saying and doing this. Because I know you'll be with me the whole time."

"Always." Diana reassures her one last time before focusing on the McCallisters, who had just gotten to the front of the line. "Mr. and Mrs. McCallister, thank you for coming to tonight's ball." she simply says and knows it's barely polite.

"We thank you for the invitation, Diana Cavendish." Mr. McCallister says tersely.

"Dear, it seems like our host has forgotten to greet Sarah." Mrs. McCallister says with a fake smile while pointing towards her daughter. "You both study together at Luna Nova."

 _So they're pretending that Sarah is still at Luna Nova_ … Diana thinks to herself while watching the red-headed girl try to gain Akko's attention, who was blatantly ignoring her.

 _Nice Akko._

"I have not forgotten." Diana says firmly. "I was merely greeting the people that _I_ invited to the ball."

"Oh my... " Mrs. McCallister chuckles. "Now this is very awkward. We just assumed that the invitation had a typo."

"It did not." the blonde doesn't deter. "For very obvious reasons, that I am sure you must be aware of, I decided to not invite Miss McCallister to the ball. And yet, in a complete show of rudeness, you have chosen to go against my wishes. In my own party." she finishes loudly and knows the other heads of families are focused on their conversation.

"Now, now…" Mr. McCallister tries to appease her. "Please Diana, forgive my wife for her indiscretion in this matter. And since we are talking about it, also consider forgiving my Sarah for her rudeness. She knows better than to start altercations with fellow olde family members."

 _He is apologizing for what Sarah did to me and not what she did to Akko?!_ Diana thinks while staring at her girlfriend and noticing the way her fists are closed.

"Yeah, I mean, you were the one that were aggressive at first, Diana." Sarah adds cheekily. "I just couldn't stop myself from reacting."

Diana feels herself losing control. She just feels so angry. Concentrating on her anger and her bitterness at the situation they are currently in, she knows that if she wants to, she'll be able to use her magic.

Even though she doesn't have her wand close.

Nevertheless, before she can put that theory to test, she feels Akko holding her hand tightly, getting Diana to focus on her instead of thinking about her hate towards Sarah and her awful family.

Taking a deep breath, and knowing that what she was going to do next would have some very serious consequences, she lets it all out.

"Mr. McCallister, just like I am addressing you by your last name, I expect you to show me the same respect and do the same. Right now you are not talking to a Luna Nova student. You are talking to the head of the Cavendish family." Diana says loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear them. "Second of all, I will not let bygones be bygones." she continues firmly. "Because your daughter did not just exchange some magic spells with me."

"Now Miss Cavendish, surely this is not the place nor time to discuss this…" Mr. McCallister tries to stop her.

"I agree, this is not the place. But, you were the ones that brought the subject into discussion by bringing your daughter to the ball." the heiress continues saying angrily and notices the way Mrs. McCallister is eyeing her husband worriedly. "And because of that, I feel I can finally say what I've wanted to say ever since that incident."

"What incident?" Oscar asks from within the group of people and Diana is thankful her friend asked.

"Months ago, Miss McCallister, the future heir of the McCallister family, had an altercation with me." she starts explaining. "I am sure you have heard that. But, what you probably didn't hear was how the altercation started. For you see, Miss McCallister was famous at Luna Nova for being a bully. Mocking and shaming witches that were of lesser families than her." she spits out and can see some people reacting to that.

"That is normal teenage behavior dear." Mrs. McCallister interrupts her. "We have all done it growing up. It is just a rite of passage that is forgotten the moment one leaves school."

"Normal behavior?" Diana asks shocked. "You mean it's normal behavior to see an older witch go ahead and hit and attack an unarmed witch?!" she screams and now she gets the attention of everyone. "Your daughter…" she points at Sarah who is doing her best to stay behind her parents. "Viciously targeted and attacked _my_ partner because of her status as a new witch. She mocked, then physically started injuring my Akko…" she closes her eyes. "Just because she was against a reform Luna Nova wanted to implement and was hoping to make out of Akko an example and warning. Actions that had her expelled from Luna Nova!"

The moment she finishes saying this, she knows that she just eliminated all sorts of relationships with the McCallister family. By outing their indiscretions so publicly, she basically made herself a new enemy. And, based on the way Mr. McCallister was angrily looking at her, she wouldn't have to wait very long to see how they would retaliate.

"She is no witch!" Sarah screams, having lost all patience and ignoring her mother's warning. "You dare bring such a mutt to our events?!"

"Sarah!" Mrs. McCallister scolds her daughter immediately. "Though my daughter's words are very uncount for such a gathering, I will agree that she is right regarding your wish to include this…" she stares at Akko despectively. "Plebeian witch to the Cavendish family. What would your mother even think?"

The moment she says that she feels Akko flinching a little. Knowing that that comment had affected Akko, Diana takes a deep calming breath before addressing Mrs. McCallister, who is clearly waiting for her to react just as angrily as Sarah had.

"She would be proud of me for following my heart and not the steps of bigot and racist people like you." she simply says and watches Mrs. McCallister's face become all red.

"You insolent…" Mrs. McCallister starts saying.

"That is enough!" Mr. McCallister bellows and all the people in the room freeze, including Diana. "We are leaving." he says to his wife and daughter who turn around and start heading out. "And Miss Cavendish, consider this my official notice that all sorts of relationships and deals between the Cavendish and McCallister are terminated." he finishes and leaves the room as well.

The moment the McCallister are gone, the rest of people in the room start whispering to each other, which gives Diana a short reprieve to check on her girlfriend.

"Akko?" she whispers. "Are you ok?" she closes her eyes. "I am sorry I said all of that. That I let everyone know about what happened to you."

"It's alright." Akko tells her softly. "And I am ok." she adds confused. "For some reason, seeing her so scared and ashamed of her position in front of all of these people… It reminded me of how I felt when she was bullying me. It didn't make me feel happy to see her that way." she explains to Diana. "But it did make me feel sorry for her. And feeling that way, it made me realize that she no longer holds any power over me." she finishes with a smile.

"Akko…" Diana whispers happily. "I am so glad to hear that. For a moment I was scared of what would happen but… I guess I just had a lot of things that needed to be said to her. To them." she points towards the heads of families.

"Then this was a cathartic event for both of us." Akko chuckles but then becomes serious. "Though I am worried about what he said at the end. What does that mean for the Cavendish family?"

"It means that Diana here just got herself a new enemy." Mrs. Allerton tells them candidly while drinking some champagne.

"Mrs. Allerton." Diana greets her. "I had no choice."

"I understand dear." the older woman tells her kindly. "It's disgraceful what that young woman did to your partner." she adds bitterly. "For a future head of family to behave in such a way… And they dared to bring her to the ball?"

"Maybe that was what they wanted." Akko murmurs and gets the attention of the two heads. "I mean, they must have known that Diana would never invite Sarah."

"And they still brought her." Diana adds.

"Like a test to see how far you would go." the brunette witch continues explaining. "Like playing chicken."

"But why would they even do that?" the heiress wonders.

"Well dear, you may not know this, but I've heard rumors that Thomas was planning to retire once Sarah graduated Luna Nova. But after hearing you say that she was expelled, it makes sense that he didn't continue with his plans."

"So he blames us for his daughter's expulsion?" Akko asks surprised.

"It is not as simple as that dear." Mrs. Allerton says to the Japanese witch. "As you probably saw today, most of the heads of families are from the new generation. In fact, out of the nine heads, only 4 of us are older than 40 years old. And this new generation is bolder. Thomas saw that tonight."

"You mean when I brought Akko as my date." Diana determines.

Mrs. Allerton nods.

"He has always been very conservative. And, at the moment, he sees you as a threat because he knows you can change things, Diana. And he doesn't want there to be change."

"So what, him saying that there will no longer be a relationship between the Cavendish and McCallister is his way of declaring war?" the brunette asks confused.

"Well, soon enough the heads of families will start receiving some calls from Thomas asking them where they stand; either with the McCallister or Cavendish." Mrs. Allerton smiles darkly. "Oh yes, this could turn pretty ugly dear. I think you should also start making some calls and checking who will support you."

"Support?" Akko cannot believe what she's saying "Why would the other families get involved in something that only has to do between the Cavendish and McCallister."

"Because that is the way disputes between magical families have always worked." Diana tells her seriously. "It is part of our tradition. Every time there is a dispute between families, the remaining ones must choose a side and the side who has a majority of support or more power wins the claim."

"In what sense more power?" Akko asks worriedly.

"Well, if Mr. McCallister were to have way more allies than I, then that makes him the victor in our discussion. But, if we had a similar amount of allies, then it's about the territories where we have control and influence."

"Most probably Thomas will have control of Ireland. He's very close with Cassandra Brennan and they are very backwards in their way of thinking."

"Spain may support me." Diana adds. "Oscar seemed very open to having a relationship with the Cavendish and Marisol Garcia seems like she wants to start changes in the magic community."

"So that means you will have Spain on your side. In regards to France, Celine Dubois also just took control of her family. Her mother would have sided with Thomas, but many know that Celine is trying to implement in her area some laws that allow people with no-magic to have business relationships with witches and wizards."

"What about the Meridies family?" Akko asks while thinking of Croix.

"Antoine Meridies will never support the Cavendish." Mrs. Allerton tells them bitterly. "He will never support any woman in a position of power. Hence, we will probably choose to side with Thomas. That male chauvinistic pig."

"Ella Adley will support Thomas as well." Diana adds softly. "I just know it by the way she looked at Akko and me while she was speaking to us."

"And you are right." Mrs. Allerton says while staring at said woman who was talking with Antoine Meridies. "And she will be the most dangerous one for you, Diana. Because she, just like Thomas, will want to get rid of you."

"And what about you, Mrs. Allerton?" Akko bravely asks. "Who will you support?"

This makes Mrs. Allerton laugh loudly and get the attention of everyone in the room.

"You are such a delight dear!" she exclaims proudly while hugging and kissing Akko on the cheek. "I, of course, will be giving my support to the Cavendish family." she promises and then focuses on the rest of people in the room. "Since we all know what Thomas' declaration meant earlier, we will all have some serious thinking to do." she looks at Diana. "Or that is something I would like to say but you all know me already." she laughs. "The Allerton family will be supporting the Cavendish family." she hugs both tight. "Be strong. And be smart. Let me know if you need any help." she whispers warmly. "And I expect you two to come visit me soon." she finishes loudly before leaving the room and everyone in it in complete silence.

"She really did it." Oscar huffs with a smirk on his face while also getting to where Diana and Akko are. "That woman has some nerves of steel." he chuckles.

"In regards to what you said earlier…" Diana starts telling him. "What just happened has nothing to do with our earlier conversation."

"I appreciate that, Diana." the wizard tells her kindly. "Though…" he points at Marisol who also joins them. "We got to talk a little bit while you were…"

"Exchanging some heated words with the McCallister." Marisol adds with a smirk.

"Yes!, and we just wanted you to know before we left for the evening that you have the full support of the Fernandez and Garcia families."

"I appreciate that." Diana tells them with a warm smile.

"If that woman can be so brave and bold." Marisol says with awe. "Then why shouldn't we also try to be." she then grabs Akko's hands tight. "I am happy I got to meet you, Akko, because with you being here, things will start to change for the better."

"Thank you?" Akko says confused and this makes the two spaniards laugh.

"Come to visit us soon, ok. We have much to discuss now more than ever." Oscar adds before escorting Marisol away from them.

After the Spaniards are gone, Diana can see that the rest of head of families in the room are also ready to leave. Nodding to the host, she hears the the woman informing the guests that the greetings were over and that they could return to the party.

But by the way Akko was determinedly looking at her, Diana knew that they would not be going back to the dancefloor.

Taking Akko's hand and leading her to a hidden door, she pushes the wall until there's a hole big enough for them to fit.

"I didn't know this was here." Akko says delighted. "Where does this lead?"

"Back to the main rooms." Diana smiles at her. "I assumed that after what happened earlier we would no longer wish to be part of the festivities downstairs."

"Well, you're right about that." the brunette tells her softly and waits until they are in Diana's room before addressing her concerns. "I wanted to apologize."

"For what Akko?" the blonde witch asks her baffled while using her wand to get rid of her dress and jewelry.

An action that would normally get a reaction from Akko, who was doing her best to not cry.

"What is wrong dear?" Diana whispers kindly. "Please tell me."

"I am sorry you got into so much trouble because of me." Akko cries bitterly.

"Akko, this wasn't your fault. You already said that the McCallister wanted this to happen right from the start."

"But you could have just let it go and nothing would have occured." the brunette chokes out.

"And I told you that I needed to say it. Even though it sounds very selfish of me to say this, I will still say it: You were not the only one hurt by Sarah's actions that day."

"Diana…"

"Having to watch Sarah hurt you like that. Having to watch you recover from what happened and how hard it has been for you to get to where you are today…" Diana whispers bitterly with tears in her eyes. "I felt angry, Akko. And I wanted to let her know that. I wanted them all to know so that everywhere she goes people will always look at her and remember what she did." she spits out. "I know this sounds awful. But I just can't stop myself from feeling this."

"It's alright Diana." Akko smiles softly at her. "In fact, I would probably feel the same way if you were the one that got hurt." she chuckles. "So I understand how you feel."

"Then if you understand, I want you to stop feeling guilty about what happened."

"What else can I do then?" the Japanese witch asks her girlfriend.

"Stay by my side?" Diana asks vulnerably and this makes Akko get closer to the blonde witch so their foreheads are touching.

"I promised you earlier that I would stay forever by your side." Akko reminds her. "And I intend to keep that promise." she then smirks. "I was thinking more in the lines of strategizing, pampering, planning, you know, those kinds of things." she pouts when Diana starts laughing loudly.

"Strategizing, pampering and planning?" the blonde asks amused and finishes cleaning her face before sitting on the bed. "My, my, Akko, already thinking about all of that while your girlfriend is sitting in front of you in only her pajamas."

"Diana!" Akko blushes and turns around from Diana who moves from the bed and hugs Akko tight. "Stop teasing me so much while I'm trying to be serious."

"Oh Akko!" the blonde continues laughing and lets go of Akko so she can return to the bed. "Please forgive me." she asks and knows Akko has already done so by the way the brunette is smiling at her. "For now, your presence is more than enough." she closes her eyes and with her wand makes Akko's kimono disappear and replaces it with a pajama. "The rest…" she whispers while falling asleep. "The rest will come to us later, like it always tends to..." she doesn't finish her line of thought.

And Akko, who had been carefully listening to Diana, is surprised by the sudden silence. Turning around to see what had happened, the brunette notices that the blonde witch had fallen asleep in the middle of a sentence.

Chuckling at the sight of her sleeping girlfriend, Akko finishes taking her makeup off and then lays down next to Diana in the bed, making sure of kissing her cheek before turning the lights off.

"Goodnight Diana. I promise you that we will figure this out." she smiles softly and closes her eyes.

Tomorrow they were going to have a very busy day.

Notes:

So I lied? Maybe there will be a part 4? This is getting way out of my hands haha. But hopefully you're liking it!


	28. Intermission

After last night's events, Diana and Akko wake up the next morning and talk with each other about what happened. They also realize some things that may have seen obvious to them but in fact were not.

Notes:

I am back with this short chapter. I wanted to further elaborate on the engagement part of Diana and Akko and hence this chapter came to be. Next chapter will be what happened after Diana and Akko left the party (and will follow Croix and the rest of Luna Nova people).

* * *

After last night's party and the events that unfolded with the McCallister, the last thing Akko wanted was to get up from the bed. And it wasn't because she was afraid. In fact, last night's encounter had helped her in realizing that she no longer had anything to fear from Sarah. The woman that had tortured her for such a long time at Luna Nova had seemed very insignificant in their last encounter.

Terrified, actually, of Diana and her father.

And to Akko, that had meant everything.

And just like she had told Diana last night, right now all she could feel for Sarah was pity. Because who could blame her for becoming a bully with parents like that. In fact, it showed Akko that Sarah had been unlucky in terms of who her family was.

Unlike Diana, who even though had grown-up in the same environment Sarah did; had become the opposite of what the McCallister heir was.

And last night had made Akko love Diana even more (which was something that she thought was impossible).

The way the blonde witch defended her, the way she passionately and firmly spoke in front of all those adults… It had reminded Akko of the many responsibilities that Diana had and will have in the future as the head of the Cavendish family.

And yet none of those things had dissuaded her from the decision she made a week ago. It didn't matter to her what the rest of people thought of her as long as she knew that Diana loved and wanted her by her side.

That was more than enough.

Turning around, Akko can't stop herself from smiling brightly at the sight of her girlfriend… Well, technically fiance as of last night, soundly sleeping with her arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

Even though Diana and her were able to spend most of their time at Luna Nova together, because they were in different teams; sleeping with each other was something of a luxury for them.

Hence, to be able to spend the night with Diana and being able to be held by her…

Akko was going to get addicted to it.

"You're thinking too loudly." she can hear Diana murmur and that makes her smile softly.

"Sorry I woke you." she apologizes with a soft kiss.

Diana chuckles.

"Do not worry." the blonde witch opens her eyes. "Besides, it doesn't hurt to wake up with a good morning kiss."

Akko blushes brightly.

"In fact, I could get used to it." Diana whispers and closes the distance between the two of them, sweetly kissing Akko on the lips while caressing her cheeks with her hands. "Good morning darling."

"Good morning Dia." Akko says dreamily.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Best sleep ever." the brunette witch promises her with a big smile. "In fact, that's what I was thinking about before you woke up…" she adds embarrassed. "That I like waking up in your arms."

"So do I." Diana promises her warmly. "In fact, now that classes at Luna Nova are almost over, that means we could start coming more to the estate."

"Really?" Akko says happily. "I wouldn't want to impose…"

"You won't." the blonde witch interrupts vehemently. "After last night…" she blushes softly. "What is mine is yours, Akko."

"Diana…"

"I meant everything that happened last night." Diana reminds her passionately. "Every promise and every vow I made to you, I meant it with my heart and soul."

Akko smiles softly at her.

"Of course I know that, silly." she caresses Diana's face tenderly. "Still, that doesn't mean that I will get used to the fact that since last night I became your fiance."

This statement makes Diana blush brightly.

Akko notices it immediately and chuckles.

"Don't tell me you forgot about that part of the night."

"Of course I didn't." Diana pouts. "A Cavendish never forgets things."

"That blush on your face tells me otherwise."

Diana grumbles but when she raises her eyes, Akko can see vulnerability in them.

"Can you tell me again?" she asks softly. "Just for the sake of confirming."

Nodding, Akko gets close to Diana and hugs her tight, making sure of whispering her words in the blonde's ear.

"Last night, I became your fiance." she says softly. "And nothing else could make me happier."

"My fiance…" Diana whispers and makes Akko stare directly at her. "Last night, you became mine."

Akko chuckles.

"Well, if you want to say it like that…" she blushes. "Though to be honest, I've been yours since we used the Shiny Rod together, Dia."

This makes Diana jump on top of Akko and kiss her fervently on the lips, forgetting everything about propriety in the morning and the fact that they had just woken up and definitely needed to go to the bathroom.

Because Akko was her fiance! And up until now, she hadn't really thought about the implications of what that truly meant for them and for their future.

A future that had now solidified Akko's presence in it with their actions last night.

"Not that I'm complaining." Akko breathes after separating from their kiss. "But why are you reacting like this?" she asks curiously.

Diana smiles brightly at her and kisses her again, deciding to indulge herself a little more in her fiance's lips.

"I think.." Diana whispers honestly to Akko. "That it has finally dawned on me what your acceptance to my proposal meant last night." she chuckles. "Not that I didn't know what doing so meant…" she adds immediately. "But now that the night is over and I've had time to think about everything that happened… I'm just so happy that you've accepted all of me, Akko."

Akko kisses her nose tenderly.

"I did promise you forever, didn't I?"

"That you did." Diana agrees and gets down from Akko, taking a seat on the bed. "Though now I feel a little bad that I didn't do anything more spectacular to propose to you." she pouts a little. "And I had thought of so many different ways to do so."

"You did?" Akko asks curiously and also sits down so she can look at Diana.

"Of course." the blonde woman tells her simply. "I've known I love you for quite some time, and that a life without you in it is meaningless to me. So of course I've had thought of proposing to you."

"Diana!" Akko screams and hugs her tightly, making sure of kissing every part of the woman's body that the Japanese's lips had access to. "I, I didn't know that."

"Silly girl." Diana says tenderly. "You mean everything to me. All I want is to make you happy."

"So do I, Dia. I want to be happy with you. I want to share my life with you. I want to be the person you go to when you have troubles or are feeling down. I want you to know that I will always be there for you and that my love for you will never fade. You are my world, Diana Cavendish."

"Oh Akko…" Diana whispers to her with tears in her eyes. "So are you." she promises vehemently and kisses her again. "And just like you're mine…" she blushes brightly. "I'm yours."

This makes Akko blush as well, but nevertheless smile warmly at her fiance.

"Well in that case…" Akko takes a deep breath and decides to ask something she has thought of asking for a while. "In that case…" she quickly grabs her wand from the night-table and makes two silver rings appear in her hands. "Will you do me the honor of wearing this ring?" she asks hesitantly and watches her fiance nod softly. "In Japan it is not custom to wear engagement rings." she starts explaining. "But my family has always been a little unconventional." she chuckles lightly. "And one of the things that my parents left me was their engagement rings." she smiles a little. "In the letter my grandma handed me, they said they they were giving me their rings so that one day I would wear them with the person I loved the most."

"Akko…" Diana whispers with tears in her eyes.

"I've been thinking for a while of the best way to ask you to wear it but I wasn't sure if people in the magic community used them or if would affect you or…"

"Akko." the blonde witch stops her rambling while stretching her left hand. "I'll be honored to wear this ring." she promises brightly and chuckles when Akko stumbles a little to put the ring in her hand.

And just as Akko had done, Diana carefully took the remaining ring from the brunette and grabbed her hand tenderly.

"My dearest Akko." she whispers tenderly. "Will you also wear this ring that signifies our bond and our vow of being with each other forever?" she takes a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"

This makes Akko open her eyes in shock for a second but then smile kindly.

"When I took your hand for the dance last night, that was the yes I gave to the world." she whispers tenderly to Diana who is watching her in complete awe. "But right now, this yes is only to you." she kisses her on the lips. "Yes, Diana, I will marry you."

Smiling, Diana nods and puts the ring on Akko's left finger, noticing for the first time that the two rings fit them perfectly.

Noticing her surprise, Akko points to her wand and that's when Diana understands that Akko used a spell to make sure the rings would fit them.

"I am so happy right now!" Akko exclaims and hugs Diana close to her. "I feel like my heart will burst out of my chest."

Diana moves her hand so she can touch Akko's heart through her nightgown.

"I can feel that."

"Can you?" Akko whispers and moves her nightgown a little so Diana's hand can go through the clothes, allowing the blonde woman to feel her skin directly.

"Akko…" Diana closes her eyes.

"We should celebrate." the brunette whispers and positions herself behind Diana, using that opportunity to kiss and lick her ear. "We just got engaged."

Diana merely moans, knowing that she would do whatever her fiance asked of her.

"Will you?" Akko uses her hands and moves her fiance's nightgown a little up so that she can put her hand directly above Diana's stomach. "Will you let me touch you?"

"You can do..." Diana opens her eyes and stares at Akko's dilated ones. "You can do anything you want. I am yours."

Groaning, Akko immediately puts herself to action, trying to get Diana's nightgown off while continuing to kiss her lips.

Nevertheless, before they were even able to do something else about it, they heard some noises coming from outside the door and a frantic Croix making her way inside the room and closing the door behind her.

"Uff, that was close." the inventor says relieved before turning around and noticing that the room she had entered was not empty. "Oh…" she takes a look at Akko and Diana and fails to notice their blushing faces. "Good morning girls."

"Good morning?!" Akko yells. "Is that really what you will say?" she then looks at Diana. "I didn't even know they were going to stay the night."

"Well, I invited them to because I was hoping we could have brunch the next morning to catch up." she gives the inventor a dark look. "Though now I'm starting to regret it."

"Now come on Diana, don't be that way." Croix pouts. "Is that really the way you two will greet me after I haven't seen you for two weeks?"

"Right now I'm not feeling very happy about seeing you." Akko groans and that's when Croix takes a deeper look at the two of them and the position they're in.

"Oh…" she whispers when it all starts making sense, that added with the fact that Akko's hand was inside Diana's nightgown. "OH!"

"Stop saying 'oh'"! Diana says embarrassed.

"Well, what else can I see?" Croix asks while blushing as well. "Apart from the fact that I can clearly see that I've interrupted something."

"Yes, you have!" the brunette witch says honestly and takes her hand off Diana's gown. "Seriously Croix-sensei, why do you always do this?!"

"You're blaming me?! It's not my fault that the two of you decided to get it on at 11 in the morning."

"Eleven in the morning…" Diana starts saying scandalized. She had never slept for so long!

"That doesn't mean that you can just barge in like a thief!" Akko moves away from Diana and gets up from the bed. "In fact, if I had to guess, I think you've been up to something." she notices Croix flinch a little and knows she has guessed correctly. "I may even assume that you're hiding from someone."

This makes Croix gulp.

"Which would also mean that you're in trouble." Akko continues getting closer to the older woman until their bodies are almost touching. "Now Croix-sensei, what did you do?"

This question makes the inventor start to think of an excuse to give, not knowing how to avoid answering the question without revealing what had happened.

Still, and just as she was about to flee, she noticed a silver ring on the brunette's left hand, which had been previously hidden from her because of her hand's previous location.

All problems and worries she had immediately vanished when she saw the matching ring on Diana's hand.

"By the Nine Witches you two have gotten engaged!" she screamed and hugged Akko tightly. "My little girls are getting married!"

"Croix-sensei!" Akko complains a little but can't help herself from chuckling and hugging her professor back. "I take it you saw the rings."

"Yes!" she then goes to Diana and also hugs her just as tight as she hugged Akko. "I'm really happy for both of you."

"Thank you." Diana gives her a kind smile. "Though that doesn't mean that you're forgiven."

"Now I get it!" Croix exclaims proudly. "You two were going to celebrate your engagement." she notices the two young witches blush and chuckles wickedly. "I apologize for interrupting you. In fact, we can resume our conversation later." she finishes and starts leaving the room.

"What, wait!" Akko says confused but is yet again interrupted by the door to their room opening again and all their friends coming right in and stopping Croix from leaving.

"Found you!" Chariot screams and uses her wand to cast a rope around her girlfriend.

"Char!" Croix complains and tries to get out of it.

"Finally!" Amanda says annoyed. "I swear, it took us most of the morning to find her."

"If it weren't for Lotte's ability to talk to fairies it would have taken us longer." Sucy says proudly and this makes the ginger witch blush. "Who would have thought that Diana's estate had so many of them."

"Houses of olde families tend to have many fairies in them." Lotte tells them. "In fact, many people that have the same abilities I do go do internships at their houses because that's the best way to practice fairie language."

"Now Croix…" Chariot says menacingly. "What do you have to say for what you did last night?"

"It wasn't my fault, I didn't do it!"

"Sure it was!" Sucy chuckles.

"We all say you do it." Constanze writes on her notepad.

"And when Diana finds out…" Hannah adds.

"She will be really mad." Barbara finishes.

"When I find out what?" the heiress asks annoyed and that's when all the people in the room, except Croix, realize that they had just entered Diana and Akko's room.

"Oh hey!" Amanda says awkwardly. "How did you sleep?"

"Amanda…"

"She can tell you." she pulls Chariot forward and the red-haired woman is faced with the stern faces of her adopted-daughters.

Seriously, the situation should be the opposite.

"Well…" she starts to explain and is again interrupted by Anna coming in.

"Seriously, will everyone in the mansion just come to our room?" Akko feels mortified.

"Miss…" she says apologetically. "Last night I tried to stop them. But this one." she points angrily at Croix. "Wouldn't listen."

"Come on! You were just as happy as I was when my plan worked." the inventor tells the old maid and Akko and Diana see her blush.

"I don't understand what is going on." Diana says annoyed to all the people in the room. "And right now, I don't feel inclined to listen to any of you." she adds and points at their clothes. "Not like this."

Everyone starts murmuring apologies.

"Now Diana, you shouldn't be getting all upset. Not today of all days." Croix adds and this makes the people in the room stare curiously at the two witches in pajamas.

 _Really Croix-sensei_... Akko thinks annoyed. She loves-hates this woman so much.

"They're wearing matching rings." Barbara tells Hannah, who immediately shrieks.

"Diana, Akko, congratulations!"

"Wait, what, why are we congratulating them?" Amanda asks confused.

"Because they're getting married." Jasminka simply says and that makes all the people in the room scream their delight, Chariot being the loudest of them.

"But didn't we already know this from last night?" Sucy is the one that asks and everyone falls silent. "In fact, I think our Croix here interrupted them on their personal celebration." she adds and everyone blushes while noticing that Akko and Diana were still in their pajamas.

"Sucy!" Akko says embarrassed. "Really?!" she then looks angrily at Croix, who gulps. "Now Croix-sensei, as you can see, I'm clearly upset."

"She really is." Diana adds from behind her.

"So what will happen is that you will all leave our room. Diana and I will get dressed and then we'll join you for brunch." she tells them seriously. "Where we will hear everything that happened last night." she adds this part while staring at Croix. "Understood?"

"Yes." they all reply and start leaving their room.

"Shit, I didn't know Akko could be so bossy." Amanda says to Sucy who chuckles.

"It's the Cavendish side." she adds wickedly. "It suits her."

"I'm really sorry girls." Chariot apologizes one more time. "And I'm sorry we…" she blushes brightly. "Interrupted you."

"It wasn't your fault Professor Chariot." Diana appeases her. "Now please, make sure your girlfriend doesn't flee?"

"Of course." she levitates Croix out of the room and that finally leaves the engaged couple alone.

"Finally…" Akko murmurs while putting the lock in their room. "I swear that Croix-sensei is…" she can't finish her sentence because she feels Diana hugging her tight from behind. "Diana?"

"You telling them all what to do..." the blonde witch whispers longingly. "Was really sexy."

"Really?" Akko chokes a little when she feels the blonde's hands moving around her hips.

"So sexy." she continues saying and trailing kisses down the woman's neck.

"We said we would get dressed and then go down." she reminds her fiance.

"I know…" Diana separates from her and takes her nightgown off, leaving her completely bare in front of Akko, who blushes brightly. "Though I will certainly need a shower before that."

"A shower…" Akko murmurs.

"In fact, you may need one too, Akko."

"I do need one." she says as in trance.

"So why don't we save water and time and have one together?" she winks at Akko and turns around to head towards the bathroom, finally making Akko react and take her in her arms.

"Your wish…" Akko kisses her passionately. "Is my command."


End file.
